The NBA is expected to address the possibility of expansion after completing its media rights negotiations, with Seattle and Las Vegas being considered the frontrunners. Adam Silver confirmed during his media availability in Las Vegas on Tuesday that the NBA plans to explore expansion this fall.
Silver stated, “We’re not done with our media deals yet, but once we are, we will consider expansion. It’s more complicated than it may seem, especially with new media deals potentially diluting payments to teams. It’s not as simple as just adding more teams. We need to carefully model and consider the long-term implications for existing owners and talent.”
“In the fall, we will begin the process of determining if we should expand, how many teams to add, and which markets to explore,” Silver added.
The NBA last expanded in 2004 from 29 to 30 teams with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats. If the league expands to 32 teams, there may be a realignment process with two teams in the Western Conference and two teams in the United States moving to the Eastern Conference.
