The NBA’s expansion has been a hot topic recently. Joined by FIBA in this new venture, the NBA plans to create a brand new, pan-European basketball league to compete with the EuroLeague.
Nevertheless, the league has pressure to grow on its own side of the pond as well. A recent article in The Athletic claims that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has drawn the “first definitive line in the sand” regarding the NBA’s domestic expansion.
So what will the NBA’s domestic expansion entail for the rest of the league?
The NBA Is Raring For A Domestic Expansion
The Pending Expansion
Seattle and Las Vegas are the two main destinations that are being scouted for new franchises, according to Yahoo Sports. Silver had this to say when asked about the NBA’s domestic expansion.
“I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities. Obviously, we had a team in Seattle that had great success. We have a WNBA team in Las Vegas, the Aces. We’ve been playing the Summer League here for 20 years. Playing our Cup games here, so we’re very familiar with this market. I don’t have any doubt that Las Vegas is, despite all the major league teams here and the other entertainment properties, that this city could support an NBA team.”
The NBA is “gauging the level of interest” in these potential destinations, Silver told The Athletic. In the same interview, Silver reported that the league is also developing a “better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams.”
According to The Athletic, the NBA’s 11-year broadcast agreement with major networks and streaming services is worth $76 billion. However, while the agreement was negotiated with 30 teams in the league, this expansion will mean that the budget will have to be divided 32 ways. David Samson, former president of the Miami Marlins (MLB), had an interesting proposition for this problem on his podcast.
“Imagine the NBA rights deal isn’t 75 billion, but just $30. So, every owner gets $1 per year. Put two more owners though, down to 97 cents per year. So, all you got to do is have these new owners pay everybody 3 cents per year for a few seasons.”
The European Pivot
In between all this, the NBA has also made plans to make its move into the European basketball scene. AM Hoops reports that this may entirely be due to LeBron James.
James had previously shown interest in owning an NBA team, specifically in Las Vegas, according to ESPN. However, during the 2025 offseason, reports emerged about James launching a European basketball league, alongside his longtime business partner, Maverick Carter, in Europe. According to AM Hoops, James’s decision to do so was motivated by NBA owners and their refusal to accept him as an NBA team owner. This likely led to the NBA shifting its focus to Europe, unless the market becomes oversaturated with new leagues.
Goodbye, Seattle?
Due to the NBA’s divided attention on expansion in both Europe and America, the NBA may choose to temporarily expand to 31 teams.
Adam Silver had this to say when asked about which city would get an NBA team.
“I want to be sensitive about this notion that we’re somehow teasing these markets, because I know we’ve been talking about it for a while.”
The Athletic’s John Hollinger offered his perspective on the two candidate cities: “I get the impression that Seattle is a Shawn Kemp slam dunk, and there’s a bit more trepidation about Vegas.”
However, as it turns out, Las Vegas might have a lot more to offer than Seattle, despite the city housing an NBA franchise for more than four decades. Vegas has hosted the NBA Cup since 2023 and the NBA Summer League since 2004. Additionally, Vegas is home to sports teams such as the Raiders (NFL), the Golden Knights (NHL), and the WNBA’s Aces. Moreover, the MLB’s Athletics (previously from Oakland) are set to move to Vegas before the 2028 season.
Las Vegas also has multiple private investors who are willing to pay for a new NBA team. The Oak View Group wants an NBA team in Nevada. The LVXP Group has hired the designers of the Intuit Dome to build a new arena in Las Vegas.
Seattle is not completely devoid of funding either. The owner of the Seattle Kraken (NHL) has expressed interest in owning an NBA team. Ken Griffey Jr, a former MLB player, is also interested in bringing the NBA back to Seattle.
As it stands, Seattle’s passion far outstrips the amount of money it can offer. And the climax of this bidding war could result in the NBA having to make a very tough decision.
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