While the NBA Finals are still going on, the offseason is approaching. Twenty-eight of the league’s 30 teams are already in their offseason. Boston and Dallas are still battling for the rights to be the 2024 NBA Champions. Ahead of Game 2 on Sunday night, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sat down with NBC Sports Boston.
Silver was asked about possible expansion in the NBA and where potential teams could be located. He was not able to give much detail, but Silver did mention how the NBA is working to see what is the best move for their league. Commissioner Silver mentioned Seattle, Las Vegas, and Mexico City.
When will the NBA expand the league past 30 teams?
“Can you give us a sneak peek?” 😂
Adam Silver drops some teasers on possible NBA expansion cities 👀
The cities he said were Seattle, Las Vegas and Mexico City pic.twitter.com/fF3gN6qnRT
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 9, 2024
As it stands, 29 of the 30 current teams in the NBA play in the United States. The Toronto Raptors are the only franchise not in America. What cities would be best for future NBA expansion? Talking with NBC Sports Boston, Adam Silver mentioned Seattle, Las Vegas, and Mexico City. Seattle is a market that would certainly be a fan favorite. They used to be home to the SuperSonics before the team was relocated and changed to the OKC Thunder. There’s no doubt Seattle would love to have a professional basketball team back in Washington.
There’s also Las Vegas, which would be a no-brainer. Several expansion teams have been added in other professional sports leagues. The NBA could follow their lead and make an expansion team in Nevada. Commissioner Silver also mentioned Mexico City as a possible expansion destination. The NBA has played a few games in Mexico City in the past. If made an expansion team, Mexico City would become the second team in the league not in the United States.
Adam Silver chatted about the possibility of expansion in the NBA..
The cities he mentioned were Seattle, Las Vegas, and Mexico City #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/bTV2sHcS3C
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 10, 2024
Expansion is not going to happen this offseason and the league needs some time to make that happen. They are currently in deep negotiations with NBC, ESPN, and Amazon for a new media rights package. Once that is all settled, then the league can start doing more research on expansion cities and teams. To keep the league at an even number, two cities will get an expansion team. One in the East and one in the West.
