With the addition of Seattle and Las Vegas franchises starting in the 2028-2029 season, the NBA is set to expand to 32 teams. If approved, the new teams would be valued between $7 billion and $10 billion.
The NBA sees this expansion as a strategic move to capitalize on the growing demand for professional sports in these cities and to further strengthen the NBA’s Western Conference.
That being said, why is this two-team expansion a good idea for the NBA and for its future?
More Competition
By adding two more teams to the already competitive NBA, the league is poised to remain more competitive for years to come.
The NBA expects to locate the new teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, that means the NBA will place them into the already stacked 15-team Western Conference. This means that one of the teams in the Western Conference will have to relocate to the Eastern Conference.
Geographically, only two teams make sense to relocate east: the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies. While the Grizzlies are a fine team to move, the Timberwolves are overall the best option. Minnesota sits more geographically isolated, and as it stands currently, would pose a bigger threat to teams in the East.
Overall, this allows the NBA to reset and provide some much-needed new competition.
A Profitable Idea
With expansion, this also maximizes revenue as a whole for the NBA. Expansion fees alone could reach $4–10 billion. Splitting that across 30 owners becomes more palatable when adding two major markets instead of one.
These two cities are essentially turnkey operations. Both have ownership groups, arenas, and fan bases ready to go. Bringing them together strengthens the league’s geographic popularity and gives the NBA more leverage in its next media‑rights cycle. This also gives Adam Silver and the NBA two new markets.
Seattle and Las Vegas aren’t just cities, however. They’re high-value markets with many favorable attributes.
Heavy tourism, already-made fanbases, large ticket revenue, merchandise sales, sponsorships, arena revenue, and strong basketball cultures are all necessary towards building a popular and well-received basketball team. Luckily for Seattle and Las Vegas, they already have most of those things.
A Gift to the Fans
A two-team expansion wouldn’t just be good for the league and the business. It’s overall fantastic news for basketball fans. There’s more basketball, more storylines, and more access, all without taking anything away from the current NBA everyone loves.
The city of Seattle has been waiting 16 long years for the Supersonics to return to their city. With this expansion, the NBA can make amends. Meanwhile, the NBA Cup semifinals and championship in Las Vegas have had excellent turnouts in recent years, so a new team with new fans will blossom.
New teams also come up with new opportunities, like a new era of rivalry. Likely rivals include Seattle vs. Portland, Vegas vs. Phoenix, and, of course, Seattle vs. Oklahoma City. This gives fans new games to anticipate. The postseason becomes more interesting as teams and players shift around the league.
Furthermore, this can make the NBA a more diverse entertainment product. There will be increased League Pass options, national windows, local broadcasts, and more social media highlights across platforms.
It’s rare that a league can give fans nostalgia and novelty at the same time. With a two-team expansion, the NBA can provide both.
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