Las Vegas will know by the end of the year if the city will land an NBA expansion team.
Las Vegas will know by the end of the year if the city will land an NBA expansion team.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said this week that the NBA is exploring expansion to both Las Vegas and Seattle, a process that he wants to complete this year. The outcome of expansion exploration could lead to both Las Vegas and Seattle being awarded teams, just one of the markets netting a franchise, or the NBA could choose to not expand at this time.
“As to why it might not happen, at least standing here today, there’s nothing that I see in the relatively short-term future of this league that would indicate in any way that there won’t be enormous interest in those markets and the board will continue to support that moving forward,” Silver said Wednesday.
The NBA hired investment bank PJT Partners to assist it with the process and Silver has already spoken with elected officials in Nevada, including Gov. Joe Lombardo, and in Washington state.
Work left to do
There will be a number of aspects of expansion included in the exploration process, including who will own the prospective team, where the franchise would play, the financial details of what expansion would mean to the league, what the expansion fee will be, which is reported to be between $7 billion and $10 billion, but Silver did not confirm that fee range. What the amount is, the ownership group of a Las Vegas NBA team would pay that and the money would be distributed to the current 30 teams.
Home arena questions
T-Mobile Arena is the only facility that could host an NBA team in Las Vegas as it stands, but Silver said he noted he wasn’t sure it would be the best fit until the league figures out who the ownership group is and if any renovations where planned for the nearly 10-year-old arena. It is also too early in the process to determine if a Las Vegas expansion team could play in T-Mobile on a temporary basis while a new arena is built, Silver said.
“But I think that will be part of our process, better understanding where T-Mobile stands, and if they have any plans to make any changes,” Silver told the Review-Journal on Wednesday.
Ownership groups
Two ownership groups have publicly expressed interest in landing an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas. One is called the MAGI, which is led by NBA great Earvin “Magic” Johnson and one fronted by Golden Knights owner Bill Foley.
“I think there is enormous interest in that market, not just people who are based in Las Vegas, it’s, of course, proximate to the Bay Area, to Los Angeles, where there’s a lot of wealth, but it’s very much a global city,” Silver said.
Expansion draft
The way an expansion draft would operate would also be determined. The league hasn’t expanded since 2004, so the rules governing an expansion draft might differ from 22 years ago.
Teams are allowed to project several players on their rosters, but one player from each team must be made available to the expansion draft. If awarded a team, Las Vegas and Seattle would only be able to draft one player from each of the existing 30 teams.
NBA last of ‘Big 4” pro sports leagues
For expansion to be approved, 23 of the 30 NBA governors will have to vote in approval of expanding following the exploration process. That could come as early as the July board of governors meetings in Las Vegas.
If the NBA chooses to add a team in Las Vegas then Sin City and Seattle will become the 13th and 14th markets to have an NFL, NHL, MLB and NBA team. The NHL’s Golden Knights started in 2027, the Raiders started playing in Las Vegas in 2020, MLB is scheduled to begin in the city with the arrival of the Athletics in 2028 and then NBA would make Sin City part of an exclusive sports city list.
“Las Vegas has already shown unwavering support for our professional sports franchises, and a new NBA team will provide even more entertainment, more jobs, and more small business growth for the region,” Lombardo said Wednesday in a statement.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
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The prospective NBA franchise in Las Vegas is expected to pay anywhere close to $10 billion to join the league. Much has changed since when the Golden Knights joined the NHL.
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