Seattle’s expansion push appears to be facing a tougher market than Las Vegas, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN says that gap may be exactly why the NBA is turning up the heat.
Windhorst reports that the bids for a team in Seattle are “substantially lower” than the offers tied to Las Vegas, and he believes commissioner Adam Silver is trying to use that dynamic to force the Seattle groups higher. The league may be focused on sorting out its Las Vegas plan before shifting attention north, but the noise around the process is doing its job: leaks that the NBA could settle on one expansion team instead of two, plus talk that losing Vegas bidders might redirect their efforts to Seattle, are all part of the pressure campaign on the two ownership groups still in the mix.
There’s also another wrinkle. At last month’s Board of Governors meeting, Silver told team owners that at least one Mexico City-based group had reached out to PJT Partners, the NBA’s expansion partner, with a proposal that included not just a franchise but a new arena district in the city. Windhorst says that idea has caught the league’s attention, though he also notes the Mexico City chatter could be a “stalking horse” meant to push Seattle bidders to raise their offers.
Even with all that maneuvering, Windhorst still expects Seattle to land a team. He points out that plenty of ownership groups around the league are counting on the expansion fees from two new franchises. But he also makes clear there’s still plenty of work ahead before the SuperSonics return becomes real.
Windhorst also dug into the Knicks’ options with Karl-Anthony Towns, and his read is that several contenders would be ready to pounce if the All-Star center reaches free agency. If Towns turns down his 2027/28 player option and becomes available next summer, Windhorst says the Warriors, Clippers and Hawks would “probably line up to make big offers” for him. The Knicks have paused extension talks with Towns, but Windhorst still expects the two sides to eventually find common ground.
Elsewhere, the Magic are drawing outside interest in fourth-year guard Anthony Black, with rival executives wondering whether Orlando would entertain trade talks if a rookie scale extension doesn’t get done before the October 19 deadline. Windhorst says Brandin Podziemski’s five-year, $110MM deal with Golden State has influenced Black’s negotiations, especially since both players are represented by Bill Duffy. Still, Orlando has not been willing to get to $22MM per year for Black.
One Eastern Conference executive told Windhorst he doesn’t expect the Magic to move Black during the season, even if no extension comes together. “I don’t think they trade him now even if they don’t get a deal,” that exec told ESPN. “They are under pressure to win this season because of that payroll, and they need him because of (Jalen) Suggs ’ injury issues.”
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Anthony Black Puts Real Pressure On The Magic Before Deadline
The Magic have spent the lead-up to the rookie extension deadline working through a contract situation with Anthony Black, and it has drawn the kind of attention that usually comes when a young player has already shown enough to matter. Black remains a part of Orlandos long-term picture, and league interest has only underscored that the front office is dealing with a real decision point, even if the organizations posture has been to keep him in place rather than entertain a move this season.
Still, the pressure is real because the talks have not landed neatly yet, and there is a line the Magic have been reluctant to cross in those negotiations. For a team trying to preserve its future while keeping its young core intact, the deadline adds urgency without offering much room for error, leaving Orlando with a familiar kind of problem: how to value a promising guard before the market forces the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Face A Risky Deadline Question In Cross-Town Derrick Jones Buzz
The Lakers spent the offseason swinging big for Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with Utah, and the cost was steep enough to shape everything that comes next. With multiple future first-round picks and swaps already gone, any February deadline move now has to clear two hurdles at once: it has to help on the court, and it has to fit a front office that no longer has much draft capital to shop with.
That is why the chatter around Derrick Jones Jr. and Goga Bitadze matters, even if neither path looks simple. Jones is valued by the Clippers, which makes a cross-town deal feel remote, while Bitadze has emerged as a more plausible backup-center type for Los Angeles, though his fit is far from clean and his history with Luka Doncic adds another layer to an already delicate decision. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Black Just Became A Much Tougher Decision For The Magic
Anthony Blacks extension talks have moved into a trickier spot as Orlando works through the rookie-deal clock. The Magic like the shape of their roster and already have money tied up in other places, which makes every new commitment a little more complicated than it would be for a team with cleaner books. Blacks camp, meanwhile, has a fresh market reference to consider, and that can change the tone of a negotiation fast.
Golden States recent deal for another young guard with the same agent has only sharpened the stakes around Blacks future in Orlando. The Magic still have a window to get something done before the deadline, but if the sides cant bridge the gap, the conversation shifts from an extension to a far less comfortable path after the season, when Blacks next contract would be decided under restricted free agency. [Read more 🡒]