Overview
- Dallas Morning News reporter Brad Townsend says the Board of Governors is likely to vote this summer to add two teams, with Seattle and Las Vegas favored, a report echoed by multiple outlets, though no vote has been officially scheduled.
- Commissioner Adam Silver has publicly identified Seattle and Las Vegas as candidate markets and said a determination on expansion could come in 2026.
- Seattle Governor Bob Ferguson recently held an introductory Zoom call with Silver about a Sonics return, confirmed by the governor’s office as a goodwill outreach to assist the process.
- Owners authorized expansion exploration in June 2025, and recent reporting indicates financial questions—expansion fees and dilution of existing equity—are a key focus as the league refines its analysis.
- If two Western markets are added, the NBA would reach 32 teams and likely realign conferences, with Memphis, Minnesota, or New Orleans frequently mentioned as candidates to shift east.