Author: Monojit Mandal
During a press conference in Las Vegas on Monday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver gave an update on the league’s future expansion. Silver said that the NBA is seriously considering adding more clubs in the coming years, but emphasized that no decision will be made hastily. The league’s main concern at the moment is finalizing the next media rights contract, which is due to expire after the 2024-25 season.
“As soon as these new media agreements are concluded, we will turn to expansion,” said Silver at the APSE conference. “That’s not guaranteed, but as I’ve said before, I believe it’s natural for organizations to grow over time.”
Silver highlighted Las Vegas and Seattle as possible destinations for other NBA clubs. The last city is important because it was the previous home of the Supersonics. Silver acknowledged Seattle’s popularity, saying: “There’s no doubt that there’s a huge interest in Seattle”. That’s not a surprise.
Although the process of adding new teams certainly takes time, Silver has always expressed confidence in the potential of doing so. Expansion is at the top of his list of priorities, along with the fulfillment of the collective bargaining agreement, which has already been concluded, and the media rights agreement.
The NBA’s exclusive negotiating term with its current broadcast partners will end in April next year, leaving the league with little time to work on adding new teams. Silver wants to ensure that all administrative issues are resolved before expansion, so that potential franchise owners have a clear understanding of the league’s financial model.
The NBA has remained with a 30-team configuration since the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) joined the league in 2004. However, proposals to add more franchises have gained momentum in recent years.
The league sees Las Vegas as a viable market, as indicated by the fact that the city annually hosts the Summer League and the upcoming semifinals and finals of the In-Season Tournament. In addition, Las Vegas has had success with professional sports, attracting NFL, NHL and WNBA clubs, with Major League Baseball on the way.
Ever since the Supersonics left and became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, Seattle has been waiting for the NBA to return. The reintroduction of one of the league’s classic franchises would be a natural combination and would satisfy the city’s basketball lovers.