The NBA has voted in favor of a potential league expansion!

The NBA Board of Governors has officially approved the vote for the league to explore applications and bids from expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle. This decision marks the beginning of the NBA expansion process toward 32 teams, a project that many executives now consider a matter of « when, not if. »

« Today’s vote reflects our Board of Governors’ interest in exploring potential expansion in Las Vegas and Seattle – two markets with a long history of supporting NBA basketball, » NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement Wednesday. « We look forward to taking this next step and engaging in dialogue with interested parties. »

A rigorous evaluation process with significant financial stakes

As part of this process, the league has engaged investment bank PJT Partners as strategic advisor to evaluate potential markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure, and the broader economic implications of expansion.

The bidding process is expected to generate offers in the range of 7 to 10 billion dollars for each team, according to sources. The league will review applications from Seattle and Las Vegas over the coming months, and determine whether to execute the purchases of new franchises in 2026 or in a few years. A potential final vote will take place later this year to finalize the transactions toward 32 teams, requiring approval from 23 of the 30 owners.

Sources told ESPN last week that the league is targeting the 2028-2029 season for both expansion franchises to begin play. A growing number of owners support expansion due to the long-term revenue growth that the Las Vegas and Seattle markets represent for the league.

Breaking: The NBA’s Board of Governors has approved a vote for the league to explore bids and applicants for expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, sources tell ESPN. A bidding process is expected to generate offers in the $7-10 billion range for each team. pic.twitter.com/yEaLPjnTVf

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 25, 2026

Two markets with different histories but confirmed potential

Seattle has not had an NBA team since 2008, when the SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City to become the Thunder. The Sonics played in the NBA from 1967 to 2008 before leaving due to a dispute over the KeyArena lease. The arena underwent major renovations from 2018 to 2021 and is now called Climate Pledge Arena, home to the NHL’s Kraken and the WNBA‘s Storm.

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Las Vegas, meanwhile, has hosted the WNBA‘s Aces since 2018, who have become three-time champions (2022, 2023, 2025) since their arrival. The city follows the trend of other major leagues: the NHL with the Golden Knights (2017), the NFL with the Raiders (2020), and soon MLB with the Athletics planned for 2028.

NBA executives expect either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies to join the Eastern Conference to rebalance the conferences at 16 teams each when Seattle and Las Vegas join the West. The NBA had not experienced expansion since Charlotte in 2004.

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