As the NBA expansion future remains a topic of conversation over the summer, the league has made plans for future teams known. With a speculative timeframe now in the works, we could be looking at new cities and teams within the next four to five years.
NBA Expansion Future Becoming Clearer With News From the League
A Little Ways Down the Road, Exciting Nonetheless
For everyone who wants to see the league grow, new plans for future NBA expansion have been reported, according to league sources via ESPN. No specific teams or cities have been identified, although speculation and hypotheticals range all over the place. One critical piece of intel that seems concrete, at this point at least, is the timetable for expansion.
The league has put out that it is targeting the 2027-28 season for when a new team or teams will be ushered into the league and begin play. The next step is for the NBA to pinpoint the cities where a basketball market will suit the league best. In 2004, the last expansion team was created in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the Bobcats. Of course, now we know them as the Charlotte Hornets.
A timeframe for NBA expansion is exciting news, even if it is still several years away. Nonetheless, the NBA is right to make this monumental decision, moving toward expanding one of the world’s most popular sports leagues and its homeland, North America.
Possible City Prospects
The NBA has been hitched to a handful of potential markets for several years. Seattle has been the most popular city on the list ever since the team left the Pacific Northwest. In 2008, they moved to set up camp in Oklahoma City. Seattle, being deprived of an NBA team, has always frustrated NBA fans. Especially since the market is there, and a well-established WNBA team is holding down the fort, the Seattle Storm. It would be no surprise if, in five years, Seattle will once again represent the NBA like the Super Sonics did for 41 years.
Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, and, of course, Las Vegas have gained some traction as possible NBA expansion locations. Vegas is the loudest suggestion, considering the recent growing sports market there. The Las Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL and the NFL’s Raiders are both relatively new to the area. The Raiders relocated from Oakland, California. The MLB also has its sights set on a Vegas-based franchise, which will begin in 2028, where the Athletics, also from Oakland, will find their new home. LeBron James is the primary catalyst in setting down NBA roots in Nevada by wanting to create an ownership group for a team.
The NBA is also looking internationally, so the Toronto Raptors are no longer solo. Places like Mexico City and Vancouver have entered the conversation as expansion possibilities. However, of all these honorable mentions, Seattle and Las Vegas seem to be the front runners. Of course, there are no specific details on how many teams the NBA wants to create by the 2027-28 season. The most realistic number would be two however we could see up to four adding even more excitement.
NBA Expansion…Let the Countdown Commence
For now, NBA fans and fans of city hopefuls can at least get up for what’s to come. Commissioner Adam Silver discussed expansion last week in a press conference at the NBA’s Board of Governors meetings. There, he expressed positive progress in his future expansion hopes. Now, we have confirmation—start the countdown.
