NBA expansion appears to be moving closer to reality.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the league’s board of governors is expected to vote next week on whether to formally explore adding franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle.
If approved, the move would begin a bidding process for two new teams that could begin play in the 2028-29 season.
League sources told ESPN there is growing momentum among owners and the league office to focus expansion efforts exclusively on those two markets.
Industry executives believe expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle could fetch between $7 billion and $10 billion apiece.
The vote would be the first major step toward expanding the NBA from 30 to 32 teams. A second vote later would be required to finalize expansion, with at least 23 of the league’s 30 owners needing to approve both measures.
Seattle has long been considered a prime expansion candidate after losing the Seattle SuperSonics in 2008, when the franchise relocated and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Las Vegas, meanwhile, has quickly become a major sports market, already home to the Las Vegas Raiders, Vegas Golden Knights and the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces.
The NBA last expanded in 2004 with the addition of the Hornets franchise.
League officials have previously indicated a final decision on expansion could come sometime in 2026.
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