In a move that’s been brewing for years, the NBA is finally taking concrete steps toward expanding its roster of teams. The Board of Governors is set to discuss adding two new franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle during their upcoming meeting in New York. This is just the beginning of a process that could see both cities fielding NBA teams by the 2028-29 season, tapping into their rich basketball traditions.
For Las Vegas, this is a momentous occasion. The city has long been a satellite fan base for the Los Angeles Lakers, with pockets of Clippers and Jazz fans sprinkled throughout.
The NBA Summer League has been a staple here since 2004, drawing massive crowds to UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center. Now, the prospect of having their own team is within reach.
Seattle, on the other hand, is looking to rekindle the flame of its former glory. The SuperSonics, who brought home an NBA championship in 1979, left a void when they moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Bringing a team back to the Emerald City would be a homecoming of sorts, restoring a proud basketball legacy.
The financial stakes are high, with expansion fees projected to be between $7 billion and $10 billion per franchise. Current NBA owners are weighing the impact of sharing revenue with two additional teams, but the potential market growth is enticing.
Las Vegas’ journey to this point has been long and winding. Former mayor Oscar Goodman championed the cause back in 1999, lobbying then-commissioner David Stern. While his efforts didn’t immediately pay off, they paved the way for the city to host the 2007 NBA All-Star Game and eventually secure an NHL team, the Golden Knights, in 2016.
The success of the Golden Knights, led by owner Bill Foley, offers a blueprint for any prospective NBA ownership group in Las Vegas. Foley’s ability to connect with the community and build a winning franchise from the ground up is a case study worth examining.
High-profile names like LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Magic Johnson have expressed interest in owning a Las Vegas NBA team. However, the hefty price tag means they’ll need partners with deep pockets. The Adelson family, current owners of the Dallas Mavericks, has been floated as a potential player in this arena, especially if they were to sell the Mavericks and team up with one of the NBA legends.
The T-Mobile Arena, already a versatile venue, is slated for upgrades to accommodate an NBA team. With a capacity of 20,000 and a history of hosting everything from the NBA Cup championship to college basketball and WNBA games, it’s more than ready to serve as the home court.
As Las Vegas prepares for the arrival of Major League Baseball with the Athletics in 2028, the timing couldn’t be better for the NBA to join the party. Both Las Vegas and Seattle are on the verge of joining an elite group of cities hosting all four major sports leagues-MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL.
It’s a testament to the visionaries like Oscar Goodman who dared to dream of transforming Las Vegas into the Sports Capital of the World. With the NBA expansion on the horizon, that dream is closer than ever to becoming a reality.