Club owners should vote next week at a meeting of the Board of Governors to initiate a formal process to add two new franchises, with Las Vegas and Seattle being the only serious candidates, ESPN reports.
If the proposal is approved, it would be the first major step towards expanding the league to 32 teams, and the new franchises could begin competition in the 2028/29 season.
Beginning of the expansion process
Next week’s vote would allow the NBA to formally begin considering bids from potential ownership groups interested in starting clubs in both cities. A final decision on the expansion could be made later in the year.
For the proposal to pass, it needs the support of 23 of the 30 NBA team owners in each phase of the vote.
According to industry insiders, the bidding process could be huge, with bids for each franchise expected to be between $7 billion and $10 billion. Both markets are projected as potential among the eight most profitable in the league.
Why Las Vegas and Seattle?
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has repeatedly emphasized that both cities are ideal candidates for league expansion.
Las Vegas has developed into a major center for professional sports in recent years, and is already home to the Las Vegas Aces, who have won multiple WNBA titles since moving to Nevada.
On the other hand, Seattle has long been considered a natural place for the return of NBA basketball. The city lost its legendary Seattle SuperSonics club in 2008, when the franchise moved to Oklahoma City and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Historical expansion
The NBA last expanded in 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league.
If the current plan is implemented, it would be the NBA’s first expansion in more than 20 years, bringing professional basketball back to Seattle and giving Las Vegas its first NBA franchise.
(Vijesti.ba)
