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The NBA Is Finally Taking the First Step Toward Expansion

The NBA is officially taking its first major step toward expansion, with Seattle and Las Vegas emerging as the league’s two target cities for a possible 2028-29 debut.

By Rick Barnes Jr.3 min read

The NBA Is Finally Taking the First Step Toward Expansion
Photo: thedailydribble

Target Cities: Seattle + Las Vegas
Projected Expansion Fees: $7B-$10B each
Target Debut: 2028-29
Vote Threshold: 23 of 30 owners

Shams Charania’s report put the NBA’s long-rumored expansion plans on an official timeline.
Shams Charania’s report put the NBA’s long-rumored expansion plans on an official timeline.

The worst-kept secret in basketball finally has a timestamp.

According to Shams Charania, the NBA's Board of Governors will vote during its March 24–25 meetings to begin formally exploring expansion in Seattle and Las Vegas, with the league targeting the 2028–29 season for two new franchises.

Expansion has been rumored for years. Now it's officially on the ballot.

Expansion has lived in rumor season for years. Now it is officially on the ballot.
Expansion has lived in rumor season for years. Now it is officially on the ballot.

The Money Is Ridiculous

Industry executives project expansion bids in the $7 billion to $10 billion range per team.

If those numbers hold, the league's 30 current owners would split one of the largest cash infusions in sports history.

That's the easy part.

The uncomfortable part is dilution. Adding two teams means every owner's league equity drops from 1/30 to 1/32. Some governors want to see final valuations before committing.

But if expansion bids come in anywhere near the projected numbers, resistance will likely disappear quickly.

Seattle Gets Closure. Vegas Gets the Future.

The cultural impact of these two markets is completely different.

Seattle represents unfinished business. The Seattle SuperSonics left in 2008, becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Pacific Northwest has been waiting ever since. Bringing the Sonics back would close one of the most painful chapters in modern NBA history.

For Seattle, expansion is not just about growth. It is about getting a piece of basketball history back.
For Seattle, expansion is not just about growth. It is about getting a piece of basketball history back.
The Sonics were not just a franchise. They were part of the league’s identity.
The Sonics were not just a franchise. They were part of the league’s identity.

Las Vegas represents the league's future.

The city already hosts the NBA Summer League, serves as the home of the NBA Cup’s semifinals and championship, supports the Las Vegas Aces, and has already proven it can sustain major franchises with the Raiders and Golden Knights. Dropping an NBA team into that ecosystem feels less like an experiment and more like the next logical step.

Las Vegas already stages some of the NBA's biggest events, including the NBA Coup's final rounds.
Las Vegas already stages some of the NBA's biggest events, including the NBA Coup's final rounds.
At this point, an NBA team in Las Vegas feels less like an experiment and more like the next logical step.
At this point, an NBA team in Las Vegas feels less like an experiment and more like the next logical step.

What Happens Next

The upcoming vote does not immediately create the teams.

It authorizes the bidding process.

From there, the league would hold a final vote later this year to formally expand to 32 franchises, which requires approval from 23 of the 30 owners.

The NBA’s expansion map is finally coming into focus, with Seattle and Las Vegas emerging as the league’s two clear targets.
The NBA’s expansion map is finally coming into focus, with Seattle and Las Vegas emerging as the league’s two clear targets.

Ricky POV

This moment has been coming for a long time.

  • Franchise valuations are exploding

  • The global audience is growing

  • The league has two obvious markets ready to go

Seattle gets its history back. Vegas gets its next attraction. And the NBA moves one step closer to a 32-team league that feels inevitable.

Tip-off is still years away.

But the expansion era has officially started.

Seattle has spent years waiting for the league to bring the Sonics back.
Seattle has spent years waiting for the league to bring the Sonics back.

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