The NBA Board of Governors voted in favor of the league formally exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle on Wednesday (March 25).
The NBA has engaged with bank PJT Partners, which will serve as a strategic adviser to “evaluate potential markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure, and the broader economic implications of expansion.” according to a press release.
“Today’s vote reflects our Board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle — two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.”
Seattle has long been pegged for a potential NBA return, having served as the home of the Seattle Supersonics from 1967 to 2008 before the franchise relocated and rebranded as the Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending 2025 NBA champions who currently have the best record in the league. Las Vegas, which has annually hosted an NBA Summer League tournament since 2004, has emerged as a major sports city during the past decade, with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights launching as an expansion team in 2017, winning the Stanley Cup in just six seasons; the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders moving from Oakland, California in 2020; and MLB’s Athletics, also formerly of Oakland, set to relocate to Las Vegas in 2028.
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