Nba To Reportedly Vote On Allowing League To Explore Expansion Opportunities In Las Vegas And Seattle

The NBA will reportedly vote to explore expanding to Las Vegas and Seattle in upcoming seasons. The league will reportedly hold a vote at its Board of Governors meetings at the end of March, per Shams Charania of ESPN.

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If that vote is approved, the league will be allowed to start looking for bids and buyers in both cities, per ESPN.

The vote would not guarantee expansion to either city in the near future, but would serve as the first step toward the NBA returning to Seattle and starting up a new franchise in Las Vegas.

If the first round of voting is approved in March, the league would likely vote to finalize the motion later in the year, per Charania. In order for the vote to pass, 23 of 30 team governors need to vote in favor of the motion. Charania said momentum was moving in the direction of expansion, as a “growing number of owners are believed to support” the idea.

If that happens, and the league is able to find buyers in a timely manner, the NBA would look to expand to both cities ahead of the 2028-29 season. If both cities are able to get teams, those franchises would likely join the Western Conference. That would require some realignment, with Charania mentioning the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies as teams that could move to the East if Las Vegas and Seattle get teams.

For Las Vegas, it would mark the first-ever NBA franchise in the city. Las Vegas has shown the ability to sustain and support professional sports teams, with the Golden Knights, Aces and Raiders already in the city and the Athletics on the way.

For Seattle, it would mark a return to the city after the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City after the 2007-08 NBA season.

The NBA last expanded in 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats — now the Hornets — started play.