Overview
- Team owners will vote March 24–25 to allow the league to solicit bids exclusively from Las Vegas and Seattle for potential expansion.
- Industry estimates project franchise fees of roughly $7 billion to $10 billion per team, creating large payouts for current owners and raising equity dilution concerns.
- Both the initial authorization and any final approval later in 2026 require a three‑fourths supermajority, or 23 of 30 governors.
- If expansion proceeds, both clubs are expected to join the Western Conference, with executives eyeing Minnesota or Memphis to move to the East for balance.
- The league is simultaneously advancing international plans, including an NBA Europe initiative with final bids due March 31.