NBA to 32? Silver's Expansion Play Isn't Just a Mirage
Look, the whispers about NBA expansion have been around longer than LeBron's second stint in Cleveland. But Shams Charania's recent reporting, detailing the league's upcoming vote to explore adding franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle, feels different. This isn't just talk. This is Adam Silver putting his chips on the table, likely for the 2025-26 season, after the new media rights deal is locked up.
Seattle has been a no-brainer for years. The Sonics' departure in 2008 left a gaping hole, and the city has proven its commitment to pro sports with the Kraken's successful NHL launch in 2021 and the Seahawks' consistent sellouts at Lumen Field. Remember the buzz around the NBA preseason game between the Blazers and Clippers at Climate Pledge Arena last October? It sold out in minutes, drawing over 18,000 fans. That kind of pent-up demand isn't manufactured; it's proof of a real basketball culture that never truly left. The city has already lined up ownership groups, and a renovated arena is ready. This isn't just about nostalgia; it’s about a market that wants its team back, desperately.
Las Vegas, on the other hand, is the shiny new toy, the league’s latest frontier. The city’s transition into a major league sports hub has been remarkable. The Golden Knights, an expansion NHL team in 2017, won the Stanley Cup this past June, proving the market can embrace and support a winner. The Raiders' move in 2020, bringing NFL football to Allegiant Stadium, further solidified Vegas’s pro sports bona fides. NBA Summer League has been a massive draw there for two decades, setting attendance records annually, with over 130,000 fans showing up for the 2023 event. The idea of an NBA team playing in the T-Mobile Arena, which seats 18,000, feels inevitable. LeBron James has even openly stated his desire to own a team there.
Thing is, this expansion isn't just about geography or market size. It's about a massive influx of cash. Each new franchise fee is projected to be in the range of $2.5 billion to $3 billion. That’s a cool $5-6 billion split among the existing 30 owners, a nice little bonus check for everyone involved. It smooths over a lot of potential disagreements when that kind of money is on the table. The league knows its product is strong globally, and adding two more teams only expands its footprint and content offerings ahead of a new media deal that could eclipse $75 billion.
Here's my hot take: adding two teams and diluting the talent pool slightly is a necessary evil for the league right now. You’re going to have a few more bad teams for a few years, but the long-term financial upside is too significant to ignore. The NBA is a business, and this move is pure business.
When the votes are tallied, and they will be soon, don’t be surprised if the NBA formally announces its intention to grow to 32 teams by 2026. My prediction? Seattle gets its Sonics back, and Las Vegas gets the "Aces" — not the WNBA team, but a new men's franchise.