For the first time in more than two decades, the National Basketball Association (NBA) is moving formally toward expansion, setting the stage for what could be the league’s most consequential structural change since the early 2000s. During meetings on March 24 and 25, the NBA Board of Governors voted to begin a formal evaluation process that could add two new franchises to the league, which are widely expected to be in Seattle and Las Vegas. The move is not yet finalized, but it opens the door to bidding and ownership vetting, with a possible start date for the two new franchises targeted for the 2028-29 season.
League expansion has been a long-running topic under NBA commissioner Adam Silver. He has emphasized that the league must weigh the economic and competitive impacts of expansion before moving forward. In announcing the exploration vote, Silver called the decision an important step.
“Our goal was in 2026 to resolve this issue one way or the other,” Silver said in a news conference on March 25. “So, my timeline — we weren’t so specific with the board — is that we need to know by the end of this calendar year what it is we’re doing. It may not be that every ‘I’ is dotted, but that would be our goal, this year.”
Expansion would increase the league’s number of teams from 30 to 32, which would likely trigger a 12th expansion draft and require a redistribution of talent across the league. According to historical precedent, expansion teams typically select players left unprotected by existing teams and fill out their rosters through free agency and the draft. The NBA has conducted 11 expansion drafts in its history, the most recent in 2004 when the then-Charlotte Bobcats (now the Hornets) entered the league.
The league’s history with expansion has been cyclical. The NBA began with 11 teams in 1946 and grew steadily over decades, expanding aggressively through the 1960s and 1970s and adding franchises again in the late 1980s and mid-1990s. Since 2004, however, the league has held steady at 30 teams. Rising franchise valuations and a lucrative media landscape have renewed interest in expanding. Entry fees could fall between $7 billion and $10 billion per team — money that would be distributed among existing owners.
For Seattle, expansion is much more significant than mere market growth. The city previously hosted the Seattle SuperSonics from 1967 to 2008 before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder. The departure remains a sore point for many Seattle-based fans. Should expansion be approved, Seattle would likely regain the SuperSonics name and history under a special agreement preserving franchise records and branding rights.
Seattle’s modern sports infrastructure has strengthened its case. The city recently renovated Climate Pledge Arena, now home to the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League and the Seattle Storm of the WNBA. The facility meets NBA standards, which removes one of the primary obstacles that led to the Sonics’ relocation nearly two decades ago.
The economic potential of both potential expansion cities is also significant. The NBA views both Seattle and Las Vegas as strong media markets with deep basketball interest. Las Vegas already hosts major NBA events, including NBA Summer League and the NBA Cup. Seattle, meanwhile, remains one of the largest U.S. markets without an NBA franchise, making it an attractive target for league growth.
Silver has been cautious about committing to a timeline but recently stated that a decision on expansion will come in 2026. That timeline aligns with league planning around media rights and labor agreements. While he has repeatedly noted that nothing has been predetermined, the momentum behind expansion appears stronger than at any point in recent memory.
“I just want to make sure everybody understands there’s been no handshakes on the side,” Silver said. “There’s been no commitments. There’s no promises to anyone. This is a completely transparent process.”
If expansion proceeds, the league would likely rebalance its conferences. With both Seattle and Las Vegas located in the Western United States, one existing Western Conference team — potentially the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Memphis Grizzlies or the New Orleans Pelicans — may move to the Eastern Conference to maintain competitive balance.
For Seattle fans, the prospect of NBA basketball returning represents more than the addition of a new sports franchise. It is a chance to bring back the missing half of the city’s basketball duo. For the league, expansion offers an opportunity to deepen its national footprint and capitalize on two growing sports markets. The final decision is expected in 2026, but the path forward is now officially charted.
