NBA Officially Puts Seattle, Las Vegas At Expansion Forefront, Eyeing 2028-29
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 01:36PM By Barry Janoff
March 25, 2026: In what was seen as a first but inevitable step, the NBA Board of Governors today voted to authorize the league to formally explore potential team expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle.
The NBA said that as part of this process, it has engaged investment bank PJT Partners as a strategic adviser “to evaluate prospective markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure, and the broader economic implications of expansion.”
“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,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said via the league.
“We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.”
The bidding is expected to be $7-$10 billion per team, according to industry analysts. All 30 owners voted in favor of exploring Las Vegas and Seattle expansion. The NBA is said to currently be targeting 2028-29 for the new teams to begin play.
In 2025, the Boston Celtics were sold for a $6.1 billion and the Los Angeles Lakers for $10 billion, the record for a U.S. pro sports team.
Talk of NBA expansion has been a hot tropic for years, with several potential cities in the mix.
Seattle and Las Vegas were positioned as frontrunners this past December when Silver said during a media event, “I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities. Obviously, we had a team in Seattle that had great success . . . I don’t have any doubt that Las Vegas, despite all of the other major league teams that are here now, the other entertainment properties, that this city could support an NBA team.”
The NBA last expanded was 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats — rebranded as the Hornets in 2014 — joined the league.
The NBA previously was stationed in Seattle with the Sonics from 1967-08, at which time the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City as the Thunder, a move predicated by financial issues between team and city officials.
The city is home to the WNBA Storm. When approved, the franchise would retain the SuperSonics name, logo and other branding.
“Seattle is ready to welcome the Sonics home. We never stopped being a basketball city, and the fans have never given up."
Las Vegas has been a de facto NBA city for years, where the league staged the 2007 All-Star Game, holds its NBA Summer League, and plays the semi-finals and finals of the NBA Emirates Cup.
USA Basketball has trained in and held exhibition games in the city.
Las Vegas is also home to the WNBA multi-champion Aces, as well as the NHL Golden Knights, NFL Raiders and incoming MLB Athletics.
NBA-style venues are already in place. Seattle is expected to play in Climate Pledge Arena, home to the NHL’s Kraken. The Las Vegas seems likely to play in T-Mobile Arena, already home to the Aces and Golden Knights.
“Seattle is ready to welcome the Sonics home,” Mayor Katie Wilson said via her office. “We never stopped being a basketball city, and the fans have never given up.
“You see it in our parks, in our schools, in packed gyms in every neighborhood, and in our Seattle Storm championships. We built a world-class arena. We have a strong economy and a dedicated workforce. We are prepared, we are united, and we are ready for the next chapter of our Sonics.”
And in Las Vegas, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo told the Las Vegas Sun, “Today’s vote by the NBA Board of Governors is a testament to the incredible growth we’re seeing in Southern Nevada and our state’s business-friendly environment.
“Las Vegans have already shown unwavering support for our professional sports franchises, and a new NBA team will provide even more entertainment, more jobs, and more small business growth for the region.”
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