The NBA’s long-anticipated expansion is inching closer to reality-and the league’s landscape could be in for a major shakeup.
According to recent comments from insider Shams Charania, expansion is now “top of mind” for the NBA’s Board of Governors. A pivotal meeting is expected in March, where financial projections tied to adding two new franchises will take center stage. While nothing is official yet, the momentum is building-and all signs continue to point toward Seattle and Las Vegas as the frontrunners to land those coveted new teams.
If that happens, the implications go far beyond adding two more logos to the league map. We’re talking about a structural shift that could impact everything from conference alignment to playoff dynamics.
Let’s start with the basics: Adding two teams-both likely in the Western Conference footprint-would push the West to 18 franchises, creating a clear imbalance with the East’s 15. The NBA has always aimed for symmetry, and that means one current Western Conference team would almost certainly need to slide over to the East to restore a 16-16 balance.
So who’s on the short list for that potential move? Three names keep surfacing: the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New Orleans Pelicans.
From a geographic standpoint, all three make sense.
Memphis is already closer to several Eastern Conference cities than it is to many of its current Western rivals. The Grizzlies have long felt like a bit of an outlier in the West, and a move East would cut down on travel and rekindle some natural regional rivalries.
Minnesota is a trickier case. The Timberwolves are tucked away in the Northwest, but their road schedule regularly runs through the Central Time Zone. They’re geographically isolated from the West Coast powers, and that makes them a logical candidate for realignment-especially if the league is looking for a clean geographic split.
New Orleans, meanwhile, has always had the feel of an Eastern Conference team. The Pelicans sit in the Central Time Zone and are closer to teams like Atlanta and Miami than they are to many of their Western opponents. A move East would ease travel and potentially give them a more favorable competitive path.
That competitive angle matters. The Western Conference is loaded with elite young talent-just look at the rise of teams like Oklahoma City, Sacramento, and Minnesota.
Shifting one of these three franchises to the East could open up a clearer playoff runway. For a team like the Timberwolves, who’ve emerged as a legitimate contender in recent seasons, a move could be more than just logistical-it could be strategic.
Memphis and New Orleans, both in transitional phases, might also benefit from a reset. A less top-heavy conference could provide a softer landing spot as they retool their rosters and look to build sustainable success.
But while realignment grabs headlines, the financial side of expansion is where the rubber really meets the road. Expansion fees are expected to soar into the billions, and those valuations will weigh heavily on ownership votes this summer. For the league’s 30 current teams, the financial windfall from expansion could be massive-but so are the strategic decisions that come with it.
One team that quietly stands to benefit across the board? The Portland Trail Blazers.
Portland is currently the NBA’s only Pacific Northwest team, and that’s meant years of grueling travel with no true regional rival. Adding Seattle would change that overnight.
Not only would it ease Portland’s travel burden, but it would reignite a rivalry that once energized both fanbases. The return of the I-5 rivalry could be a huge boost for a Blazers franchise in the midst of a rebuild.
There’s also the competitive ripple effect. If one of the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, or Pelicans moves East, that’s one less emerging power in the Western Conference. For a team like Portland, trying to climb back into playoff contention, even a slight reduction in conference depth can make a real difference over the course of an 82-game grind.
And then there’s the expansion draft. If the NBA adds two new teams, expect each existing franchise to protect around eight players.
That scenario could hit deep, talent-rich teams like Oklahoma City, Houston, and San Antonio the hardest-teams with more young talent than they can shield. Portland, still shaping its young core, would likely face less exposure in that process.
No, none of these developments guarantee a fast-track back to contention for Portland. But taken together, they represent a rare alignment of opportunity.
Reduced travel, improved competitive balance, and a favorable expansion draft outlook? That’s the kind of subtle edge that can make a real difference for a team in transition.
Big picture: Expansion is coming. And with it, a reshuffling of the NBA’s structure that could open new doors-for the league, for its players, and for teams like Portland looking for their next chapter.