There have been constant rumors surrounding the NBA and expansion, with a recent development adding more fuel to the fire. Commissioner Adam Silver recently confirmed that the league will soon begin working toward adding two new teams this summer.
There has been plenty of speculation about where the next expansion cities will be, but it seems that there are two inevitable front-runners.
"There’s no doubt there’s been interest in Las Vegas. Seattle, I’ve been very public about the fact that, that,"Silver was recently quoted saying.
"We're just beginning the process of exploring the opportunity to expand..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 17, 2025
We're looking hard at it and there's no doubt that there's been interest in Seattle and Las Vegas..
We're looking at those markets and others"
Adam Silver #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/RQRpCdig0S
It seems to be a foregone conclusion that Seattle and Las Vegas will get expansion teams for several reasons. For one, Seattle has already proven that it can support an NBA team after being home to the SuperSonics for 40 years. Meanwhile, Las Vegas has been home to the NBA Summer League for years and is where the NBA Cup Finals are played.
Both cities also support teams in other professional sports, and each city is a cash cow. Seattle is home to several major companies, including Amazon, Starbucks, and Microsoft, while Las Vegas basically prints money with dozens of casinos and is also home to sports gambling. That makes both cities ideal for expansion.
How will the NBA change if Las Vegas and Seattle were to get expansion teams?
The most obvious change would involve the realignment of conferences. With Las Vegas and Seattle being Western teams, an existing team would have to join the Eastern Conference. The most obvious options would be the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies, given their proximity to the East. Either joining the Eastern Conference could reshape the league.
The Grizzlies have one of the best young teams in the NBA, and the Wolves have one of the best young stars. It could increase the Eastern Conference's level of talent, with the East often ranking behind the West in terms of star power.
It could also accelerate the proposed idea of getting rid of conference seeding for the playoffs, with the top 16 teams in the NBA making the playoffs regardless of conference. Then there is the potential for an expansion draft with every existing team being able to protect only nine players, with the rest being entered into a pool that the two new franchises can select from.
Not to mention up to 30 new NBA roster spots, allowing for more players to stick in the NBA and more opportunities for up-and-coming prospects.
Overall, the NBA adding expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle seems inevitable. The league appears to be taking steps this summer to make that a reality with two new teams joining the NBA in the next few years.