NBA: League Continuing To Discuss The Idea Of Expansion
“I wish, standing here as the commissioner, I had teams to dispense to many different markets who are interested in NBA basketball,” said Commissioner Adam Silver.
While speaking to members of the media on Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that the idea of expansion has continued to be brought up, but it requires more research.
“A lot of analysis still needs to be done, and nothing’s been predetermined one way or another, and without any specific timeline,” Silver explained. “We’re going to be as thorough as possible and look at all the potential issues.”
Silver described how there is “curiosity” around the concept of adding more teams to the NBA.
“The appetite in the room I would define more as curiosity and more ‘Let’s do the work,’” he said. “If I were an owner, ultimately, what you’re considering is, is this additive to the league? Additive can be measured in lots of different ways. There’s additive economically. But I think there is, from a competitive standpoint, how would particular markets impact our national footprint?”
There’s a lot I don’t understand about NBA expansion.
But, the one thing I know is Seattle is one of the world’s great cities and it’s a definitely market that deserves an NBA team!
Right?? pic.twitter.com/JedzPWbnLx
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) July 15, 2025
Adam Silver added that the league made “a significant step” in expansion discussions.
“We’re now engaging in this in-depth analysis, something we weren’t prepared to do before,” he said. “But beyond that, as I said, it’s really day one of that analysis. In terms of price, potential timeline – too early to say. And again, I think that also assumes the outcome of this analysis. It is truly a complicated issue.”
There are many cities that are worthy of an NBA team. Seattle has been looking to fill the void left behind after the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City. Also, Las Vegas has often been cited as a potential landing spot for a new NBA franchise since that’s where the NBA Summer League is held.
“I wish, standing here as the commissioner, I had teams to dispense to many different markets who are interested in NBA basketball,” Silver told a Seattle-based reporter. “I think we also have this greater obligation to expand, if we do so, in a very deliberate fashion, in a way that makes sense holistically for the league. That’s really the best I can do.”
Adam Silver: “I’m not ready to declare we’re not gonna have dynasties. I’m sure Sam Presti isn’t ready to hear that.”
pic.twitter.com/TsqFr4pBjy— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) July 16, 2025
Unfortunately, the league cannot just award franchises to cities that simply love basketball or are deserving of a team. The NBA needs to ensure that expansion would not impact the local TV deals that so many teams are currently locked into.
“We would be malpracticing if we didn’t figure out how local regional television is going to work before expanding,” Silver said. “The notion that we would hand over a team into a city where we’re not currently operating and say, ‘You’re going to have to figure out how you’re going to distribute your games to your local fans’ doesn’t make sense.”
Once again, Adam Silver mentioned expanding the NBA’s reach to maybe even have a league in Europe, which sounds more achievable in the short term than creating another one or two U.S.-based NBA franchises.
“That would be an independent league – what we’re contemplating – operating in Europe,” he said. “The fact that we would be creating new basketball teams in Europe is related. It’s separate but related to this notion around building additional organizations in the league. Those are all things that we’re in the process of talking about.”