At the NBA board of governors meetings on March 24 and 25, owners will vote on advancing the expansion process for new teams in Las Vegas and Seattle. The measure requires 23 of 30 governors to approve before bids can be solicited. Full approval of the franchises would occur later this year.
The vote next week would not finalize expansion but allow the NBA to engage prospective ownership groups and collect bids, according to reports from ESPN. Franchise fees are projected at $7 billion to $10 billion, based on recent sales like the Boston Celtics at $6.1 billion, Los Angeles Lakers at $10 billion, and Portland Trail Blazers at $4.25 billion. Some owners seek final bid details before committing, though support is growing among the group. Seattle lost its SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008, where they became the Thunder; a settlement allows a new team to reclaim the name and history. Las Vegas hosts the WNBA's Aces since 2018 but has no NBA franchise. If expansion proceeds to 32 teams, both newcomers would join the Western Conference, with either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies shifting east to balance conferences. NBA commissioner Adam Silver previewed this at All-Star weekend: 'My sense is, at the March board of governors meetings, we'll be having further discussions around an expansion process... we will likely come out of those meetings ready, prepared to take a next step.' Potential Las Vegas investors include Magic Johnson, Bill Foley (owner of the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights), LeBron James, and Shaquille O'Neal. The league aims for a 2028-29 debut, followed by staffing and an expansion draft.
