The NBA Board of Governors is “likely” to vote on expansion this summer, with Seattle and Las Vegas serving as the two cities that are “favored” to land franchises, the Dallas Morning News reported on Sunday night shortly after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl 60.
Seattle and Las Vegas being the leading candidates to become the 31st and 32nd NBA franchises shouldn’t come as a surprise. NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed potential expansion in December ahead of the NBA Cup title game. Silver said they were looking at both cities.
“Not a secret, we’re looking at this market in Las Vegas,” said Silver speaking from the NBA Cup championship site. “We are looking at Seattle. We’ve looked at other markets as well. I’d say I want to be sensitive there about this notion that we’re somehow teasing these markets, because I know we’ve been talking about it for a while.”
Silver later mentioned during the press conference that “sometime in 2026 we’ll make a determination” about potential expansion.
“I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities,” Silver said. “Obviously, we had a team in Seattle that had great success. We have a WNBA team here in Las Vegas in the Aces. … I don’t have any doubt that Las Vegas, despite all of the other major league teams that are here now, the other entertainment properties, that this city could support an NBA team.”
If Seattle does land an NBA franchise, it would mark the second time that’s happened. Of course, the SuperSonics relocated from Seattle to Oklahoma City and are now known as the Thunder. Before the relocation, the SuperSonics played in Seattle from 1967 to 2008. They won their lone title in 1979.
Las Vegas has been a popular destination for relocation of professional franchises in recent years. The NHL‘s Vegas Golden Knights were the first major pro sports team in town. The began play in the 2017-18 season and won the Stanley Cup in June of 2023. The Aces followed in 2018, moving from San Antonio, and they’ve won WNBA titles in 2022, 2023 and 2025. The Raiders moved from Oakland to Las Vegas ahead of the 2020 NFL season, and are 0-1 in the playoffs since. Finally, the Athletics are expected to play in Las Vegas at the start of the 2028 MLB season. The A’s played their final season in Oakland in 2024 and are playing home games in Sacramento while the Las Vegas ballpark is under construction.
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