In an important press conference held before the NBA Cup final, commissioner Adam Silver revealed that the NBA will make a decision on adding new teams in 2026. The cities of vegas e Seattle are at the center of league expansion discussions.
An eagerly awaited announcement
This is the first time Silver has provided a clear timetable regarding the expansion, a topic that was first raised prior to the 2020-21 season. “We are continuing to evaluate domestic expansion,” Adam Silver said. “It’s no secret that we’re looking at the Las Vegas market and Seattle. We’ve looked at other cities as well, but we want to be sensitive to the fact that we’re not just ‘poking’ these places.”
The economic challenges of expansion
Silver pointed out that domestic expansion presents significant economic challenges. “If you own 1/30 of the league, now you own 1/32 if we add two teams. That makes the economic analysis much more complex,” he explained. The league is currently working with teams to gauge interest and better understand the economic dynamics associated with these new franchises.
The cities in pole position
The cities of Seattle e vegas are seen as prime candidates for expansion. Silver said, “Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities. We have had a successful team in Seattle and in Las Vegas we have a WNBA team, the Aces. We are very familiar with this market.” The commissioner also expressed confidence that Las Vegas could support an NBA team, despite the presence of other sports franchises in the city.
Other topics discussed by Silver
In addition to expansion, Silver touched on other topics during the conference, such as negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement for the WNBA and Chris Paul’s controversial exit from the Clippers. Additionally, he hinted at the possibility of the NBA Cup Final being held at multiple venues in the future, exploring the idea of hosting games in historic college arenas.
Worth a look
