NBA Expansion Looming: Las Vegas and Seattle Set to Join the League
Las Vegas and Seattle are increasingly close to landing an NBA franchise. The Board of Governors will vote at the end of March on expanding the league starting with the 2028-29 season
For several years now, there has been talk of a potential NBA expansion, with new teams being added to the league’s current 30 franchises. After countless rumors, the time now seems ripe for two new teams to officially join the NBA.
The NBA will hold a vote during the Board of Governors meetings on March 24-25 to evaluate adding expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, with the goal of introducing them in the 2028-29 season, as reported by Shams Charania.
The initiative has gained momentum among stakeholders, who could approve an exploratory phase for bids estimated between $7 and $10 billion per franchise.
The NBA will hold a vote during the March 24-25 Board of Governors meetings to explore adding expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, with the two franchises targeted for the 2028-29 season, sources told ESPN. There is growing momentum among stakeholders to approve the proposal
Shams Charania
This initial vote will serve to explore the team purchase process, while a final vote later in the year will determine the actual expansion to 32 teams, provided the bids meet the required threshold.
In both votes, 23 of the 30 Board members will need to approve the proposal.
The candidate cities: Las Vegas and Seattle
The two potential new NBA franchises would be based in Las Vegas and Seattle. For the Nevada city, it would mark its first NBA team, though not its first presence in major American sports: it already hosts the Las Vegas Raiders, and the addition of a basketball team would further elevate its sports profile.
Las Vegas’ bid has also been frequently linked in recent years to rumors involving LeBron James as a potential owner once his NBA career ends – a possibility the Los Angeles Lakers star has never publicly ruled out.
Seattle, on the other hand, has a long history in the league: from 1967 to 2008, it was home to the Seattle SuperSonics, a franchise that won an NBA championship in 1979. Since the team’s relocation to Oklahoma City, fans have continued to hope for the return of the Sonics – and now that possibility feels closer than ever.
Scheduling and conference alignment questions
A potential NBA expansion to 32 teams also raises several questions regarding the NBA schedule and the structure of the two conferences starting from the 2028-29 season.
There has long been discussion about reducing the number of regular season games, partly due to the increasing number of injuries affecting players throughout the year. The addition of two new teams could provide the league with an opportunity to revisit the calendar format.
Another key issue concerns conference alignment. In the past, there has been talk of moving the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies to the Eastern Conference, given their geographic location. With Las Vegas and Seattle expected to join the Western Conference, a realignment between the two conferences would become necessary.
The NBA expansion now appears closer than ever, and the coming weeks could prove decisive in shaping how the league evolves in the years ahead.