LAS VEGAS (AP) — The NBA plans to make a decision on domestic expansion next year, commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday, offering the most definitive timeline since the league began exploring the possibility of moving from 30 to 32 teams.
And if there are favorites, as has long been expected, Las Vegas and Seattle are at the top of the list.
“It's no secret, we're looking at this market in Las Vegas. We're looking at Seattle,” Silver said before the NBA Cup final between San Antonio and New York. “We've looked at other markets as well. I would say I want to be cautious about us teasing those markets in any way because I know we've been talking about this for a while.”
Expansion has been a theme in the NBA for years, and it's no secret that Seattle, which had a team until the SuperSonics were moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, and Las Vegas have long been clamoring for franchises.
“I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities,” Silver said. “Obviously we had a team in Seattle that had a lot of success. We have a WNBA team here in Las Vegas with the Aces… I have no doubt that Las Vegas, despite all the other major league teams that are here now, the other entertainment venues, this city can support an NBA team.”
“I think right now we're in the process of working with our teams, gauging the level of interest and getting a better understanding of what the economics will be for those specific teams and what the pro forma will look like for them, and then sometime in 2026 we'll make a decision.”
Future of the Cup
On Amazon Prime Video's pre-game show ahead of the NBA Cup Final, Silver revealed that the tournament's title game could move to Las Vegas.
Among the sites being considered: “Some legendary college arenas,” Silver said. “We're looking at other ways to do this.”
Cup semifinal games will be played at No. 1 starting sites starting next season, so the concept of the Final Four in Las Vegas will change in 2026 anyway.
The Cup audience has increased
The switch to a streaming service didn't stop fans from watching the NBA Cup.
Saturday's semifinals on Prime Video – in its first season as the league's broadcast partner – averaged 1.67 million viewers, up 14% from last season's semifinals.
And Saturday's doubleheader — San Antonio vs. Oklahoma City and New York vs. Toronto — saw a 126% increase in social media views compared to last year, the league said, with more than 400 million views across all platforms.
NBA plans in Europe
Silver hinted that news could come next month about the NBA's plans with FIBA to create a league in Europe.
That makes sense as the league is set to play regular-season games in Berlin and London next month, when Orlando and Memphis play a pair of games.
“I would say what we're doing now is casting a very, very wide net and essentially telling anyone who's interested, come to our bankers, tell us why you're interested, how you look at the opportunity, what resources you would put into starting a team, and then we take all that information back,” Silver said. “And then I think sometime in late January or January we will be able to have more serious conversations with those stakeholders.”
The future of Chris Paul
Silver said he found out about Chris Paul being sent home from the Los Angeles Clippers the same way everyone else did: He checked his phone in the middle of the night.
“I will say I was just worried for everyone involved,” Silver said. “As you know, I'm especially close to Chris because he was president of the Players Association for many years. … I would like to see him finish the season with another team. He has already announced that this is his last season, so I would like to see him finish the season strong.”
Silver said it was not his job to “cross-examine those involved” and added that he had not spoken with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer about what happened.
“It’s an unfortunate situation that ended this way,” Silver said. “So I'm focused, and I hope Chris is focused on the future now.”
Silver says talks with WNBA are moving forward
Silver said he and NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum are ready to help the WNBA and its players negotiate a new labor agreement if necessary.
Silver said he was “optimistic” that a deal would be done.
“I’m watching what’s going on very closely,” Silver said. “We are integrated into the league office. I speak daily with the people who sit at the negotiating table. As I said earlier, we, as a collective NBA-WNBA, have recognized that our players deserve to be paid significantly more than they have received thus far, based on the growing success of the league. Now it is simply a matter of finding consensus on what is a fair deal. It will require compromise on both sides.”
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