Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Turner Sports
NBA expansion is coming. The league is seeing a massive spike in revenue over the past couple of years. The current media rights deal is up in 2025 and more teams will likely be a part of a new negotiation. The easiest case for expansion is more money. More teams equal more media deals to negotiate. However, there are plenty of other reasons for NBA expansion.
NBA Expansion: The Likely Teams
Commissioner Adam Silver talked about expansion in his post-NBA Finals press conference. Seeing as he name-dropped a couple of locations, they seem the most likely. “We will look at [Vegas},” Silver said. “There’s no doubt there’s enormous interest in Seattle. That’s not a secret.” Fans have been clamoring for the NBA to return to Seattle ever since the Supersonics left in 2008. Las Vegas has been a hotbed for teams ever since the NHL got the Golden Knights. The NBA will likely want a piece of that market especially since they already host their successful Summer League there.
What are some other cities for NBA expansion? Mexico City is an international option that has been rumored. The NBA already has an international team in Toronto and could look to target a huge market in Mexico. Some other domestic cities that could get a look at would be St. Louis, Baltimore, and Kansas City. It all depends on how big of an expansion the NBA decides to go with.
Number Of Good Players In The League
Outside of the money, the talent in the league is a huge reason for expansion. Teams are loaded nowadays. The sixth, seventh, and eighth players on the team are often starter quality. In this year’s summer league, there were many players that showed they have a place in the league. These players will likely be fighting for roster spots despite having the skills to be a rotational player. The emergence of other leagues like the G-League and Overtime Elite has increased the number of quality players in the league. The NBA could expand and not have the product suffer that much. It might even make the league more competitive as the talent would be spread out.
How Big Will The NBA Expansion Be?
I would put my money on two teams. Las Vegas and Seattle are such slam dunks (pardon the pun) that the NFL would be foolish not to put a team in those cities. A larger expansion would entail some drastic realignment of the conferences. Adding two teams would like mean a little bit of switching around but nothing major. Still, I wouldn’t put it past the NBA to massively expand. The demand for the NBA especially in the international realm is at an all-time high. However, I do think the NBA starts with two teams and then goes from there.
We are still a couple of years away from NBA expansion. However, it seems like it is happening. The way Adam Silver talks about it along with the demand for the sport makes it hard to see a world where this doesn’t happen. This will be a storyline to keep an eye on as the current media deal expires.
