NBA Expansion Feels Like Just A Matter Of Time, And Not Long

September 17, 2024

NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently addressed the league’s expansion considerations, indicating there is still much to determine.

So we’re going to determine it for him.

Basically, we all know the league is considering Las Vegas and Seattle as potential expansion destinations. I don’t have an opinion on Vegas, but as I wrote here, the NBA definitely needs to add Seattle.

Prediction time: The league will add Vegas and Seattle for the 2027-28 season. That’s wild speculation on my part, but I also wouldn’t bet against me (at least, not in this instance).

Interestingly, 2027-28 is when LeBron James‘ contract is up with the Lakers. I don’t know that James will be able to finish the contract as a 43-year-old player, but I wouldn’t bet against him (at least, not in this instance). Anyway, he has been heavily linked to owning a team in Las Vegas … has made it clear he would like to do so … and he and his friends have enough money to make it happen.

Like a lot of today’s stars, James has been heavily influenced by Michael Jordan, who owned the Charlotte Hornets and had a stake in the Washington Wizards before that. James wants to follow in Jordan’s footsteps in many ways and team ownership is among them.

Also, LeBron said he wanted to play with son Bronny James in the NBA and spoke it into existence. It’s a good bet he will do the same with an NBA ownership group.

Final kind-of prediction: There will be a team in Seattle. There will be a team in Vegas. I have no clue who will own either. But the money is too good to pass up for the league and other team owners. Seattle will be a marketing dream for the league too. As I wrote, every basketball-loving soul wants the NBA to bring back the Sonics.

Silver and the rest of the league know this about Seattle. They know what would develop in Vegas, as there will be no shortage of ownership bidders, including the greatest player of his generation. It makes too much sense. There will be too much money. It will excite the fans way more than, say, the NBA Cup. And that is why expansion will happen. If not next year, or the year after that, then almost certainly by the year after that.