The NBA has long been expected to address the possibility of expansion at the conclusion of its media rights negotiations with Seattle and Las Vegas considered the frontrunners. During Adam Silver’s media availability on Tuesday in Las Vegas, he addressed the topic and confirmed the NBA’s plans to explore the possibility this fall.
“We’re not quite done with our media deals yet, but once we are we will turn to consideration around expansion,” said Silver. “I will say it is a bit more complicated than it is suggested sometime. Because, just think of the new media deals, for example, once they’re completed when you bring in new partners, you’re diluting those payments of course to teams. Sometimes it seems as if we’re printing money when we expand, but actually it is no different than selling equity in any business. I think there needs to be a fair amount of modeling with the league office working with existing owners and really thinking through the long-term prospects. Again, not just economically but also potential for dilution of talent.
“Having said that, I think we will engage this fall in earnest in the process of making those determinations. Should we expand? And if we were to expand, how many teams should we expand? And what markets should we be looking at?”
The NBA most recently expanded from 29 to 30 teams in 2004 with the addition of the then-Charlotte Bobcats. If the NBA expands to 32 teams with two teams located geographically in the Western Conference, there could be a realignment process with two teams in the middle of the United States moving to the Eastern Conference.
