Way #2: Two up-and-coming NBA teams will have to change conferences.
If and when expansion does happen, Las Vegas and Seattle are clearly the two best options for new NBA teams. After all, the size of the markets and the wealth of both cities are hard to pass up, plus each have proven that they are capable of supporting major sports franchises. The NBA, of course, had the Seattle Supersonics, and they could revive that team.
Especially since it had a diehard fan base prior to their move to Oklahoma City. Las Vegas now has two sports franchises after previously being viewed as a no-go because of gambling. That’s probably a major draw now. As for how adding two new franchises would affect the conferences and divisions, Las Vegas and Seattle would both be added to the Western Conference.
Seattle would return to the Northwest division while the Thunder would be sent to the Southwest division. Meanwhile, Las Vegas would join the Pacific division with the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Kings, and Suns. That would give both the Pacific and the Central six teams, but that won’t matter much since divisions don’t serve any real purpose anymore.
As for which teams would be forced to switch conferences, that would likely be the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Having both teams join the East could dramatically change the power balance in the NBA since it moves two good teams featuring young stars to a conference that has lagged behind the West for decades now.
In fact, since the Chicago Bulls’ second three-peat, the West has seen three different teams win at least four championships in the last 23 years. Therefore, weakening the Western conference by adding two expansion teams and the East by adding two up-and-coming teams could help balance the scales.