Expansion, 2

There’s some light at the end of the tunnel as last Wednesday, the NBA Board of Governors approved to explore and consider the addition of franchises exclusively in Seattle and Las Vegas.  This is the most positive sign that NBA basketball will be coming to these cities.

For close to 20 years, Seattle had been waiting to make an NBA comeback. Most likely, Seattle will bring back the Supersonics nickname, its logo and color scheme.   One of basketball’s best markets is poised to have an NBA team again.

Las Vegas has been home the NBA’s Summer League since 2004 and was the site of the NBA Cup semifinals and championships.  The gambling capital had been pushing for an NBA franchise since the 1990s.

An investment firm was tasked “as a strategic adviser to evaluate prospective markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure and broader economic implications of the expansion”.  Potential ownership groups will have to prove how worthy they will be of owning and operating an NBA franchise.

They will be valued between $7 to $10 billion because it was estimated that both cities “would be among the NBA’s top 8 revenue generators” next to Golden State, LA Lakers, New York, LA Clippers, Boston and Chicago.

Commissioner Adam Silver said that the board’s approval for a potential expansion is not a guarantee and “nothing is set in stone right now” but added that the focus is only on Seattle and Las Vegas, considering their history and support of the league.   He said both cities are “unique in terms of available markets in the US right now”.   A decision could be made by the end of this year, with expansion teams set to begin play at the 2028-2029 season the earliest.

There would be enough talent if ever Seattle and Las Vegas got into the league.  The quality of international players is tops and there are a few NBA-caliber players in the G-league.  With teams continually offloading their rosters, there will be no shortage of personnel.

Las Vegas is home to three major league teams – Las Vegas Raiders (NFL), Vegas Golden Knights (NHL) and the Las Vegas Aces (WNBA).  MLB’s Oakland Athletics is set to arrive in 2028, also in time for its new NBA expansion team.

It was 2004 when the NBA last expanded with the Charlotte Bobcats and began play during the 2004-2005 season, replacing the Hornets, which moved to New Orleans.  Charlotte rebranded back to the Hornets in 2014.

One team from the Western Conference will have to move to the East as adding two teams to the West creates an imbalance (17 teams in the WC, 15 teams in the EC).  Being closer to Milwaukee, Chicago and Indiana, it would be logical for Minnesota to relocate.