It has been quite some time since the NBA has gone through expansion. The most recent expansion team was the Charlotte Bobcats (now Charlotte Hornets) who began play in the 2004-05 season. There wasn’t any debate as to where the new team would be located though, as the NBA wanted a new team in Charlotte after the original Hornets moved to New Orleans. Prior to that, the NBA last expanded in the 1995-96 season. The Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies began play, becoming the only two teams outside of the United States. The Grizzlies, of course, later moved to Memphis.
The league has been rumored to go through another stage of expansion in the near future. At a press conference prior to the Miami Heat vs. Washington Wizards game on Saturday, commissioner Adam Silver had some discussions on the league expanding.
Adam Silver Speaks On Expansion Prior To Game In Mexico City
Expansion To 32 Teams Is Expected In Future
On Saturday, the Heat and Wizards played their regular season outing in Mexico City. With the game taking place in Mexico, Silver took the trip there and spoke with the media.
He spoke on the All-Star Game for a bit as the game has been highly-scrutinized of late due to a seeming lack of effort by players, particularly on the defensive end. He also went into expansion, making it seem likely that when it does occur, two teams will be added to the 30 current ones. Silver said,
“The most logical thing would be to do it with two teams, otherwise we would have to make adjustments for having odd numbers. It is also possible to do it with odd numbers, but we would like to do it with two teams and not one.”
Keeping the league an even amount of teams makes sense. Thirty-two teams will allow 16 apiece in the Eastern and Western Conferences. The NBA could also expand to eight divisions, just like the NFL currently has. That would make it where each division would have four teams.
Where Could Expansion Teams Play?
There seems to be three cities that are frequently mentioned as where the NBA is likely to expand to next. Those are Seattle, Las Vegas, and the aforementioned Mexico City.
Seattle is known for their rabid fanbase from their time in the league as the Seattle SuperSonics. Fans were heartbroken when the team moved to Oklahoma City starting in the 2008-09 season. Isaiah Thomas has previously stated that he wants to be involved with a new Seattle NBA franchise.
With sports gambling more accepting and legalized in many places, Las Vegas has found their way into sports leagues. The Vegas Golden Knights began play in the NHL in 2017-18. The Raiders in the NFL moved to Las Vegas beginning in the 2020 season. LeBron James has been rumored to potentially making a bid to become an owner of a future Las Vegas NBA franchise.
If Mexico City were granted an NBA team, they would be the first one outside of the United States and Canada. In an interview with The Athletic though, Silver made it clear that Mexico City getting a team is likely many years away.
