Overview
- The NBA Board of Governors approved a formal review of adding teams in Seattle and Las Vegas and hired PJT Partners to assess markets, ownership and arenas.
- Commissioner Adam Silver set a year-end 2026 decision target and cautioned that expansion is not guaranteed.
- Reports place expected expansion fees at $7–10 billion per team, with some coverage saying at least $6 billion.
- If approved, the earliest start for the new clubs would be the 2028–29 season using an expansion draft that lets current teams protect up to eight players.
- Adding two Western teams would require moving one current club to the East, with the Minnesota Timberwolves often cited as the likeliest candidate.