The NBA expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle is about to take the most significant step in its recent history for the first time in two decades. On March 24-25, 2026, the Board of Governors will vote to explore the addition of two new franchises: one in Las Vegas and one in Seattle. The objective is for both teams to debut in the season 2028-29bringing the league to 32 teams for the first time.
What will happen at the meeting on March 24-25, 2026?
Table of Contents
- What will happen at the meeting on March 24-25, 2026?
- How much will an NBA expansion franchise cost?
- Why Las Vegas and Seattle, and not other cities?
- Precedents: what professional sports have already achieved in Las Vegas and Seattle
- The history of Seattle and the NBA: from champions to exiles
- What implications does expansion have for the NBA structure?
- The last time the NBA grew: Charlotte 2004
- VAR CHECK: The questions everyone is asking about NBA expansion
- When will the NBA vote on expansion?
- When would the Las Vegas and Seattle teams start playing?
- How much is an NBA expansion franchise worth?
- How many votes does the NBA need to approve expansion?
- What will happen to the history of the Seattle SuperSonics?
- Which teams could move to the Eastern Conference with expansion?
- Who wants to be owners of the new equipment?
- Final reflection: the NBA facing its most important decision in two decades
Will there be an NBA expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle?
According to information from Shams Charania of ESPNthe league will hold a formal vote during Board of Governors meetings between the March 24 and 25. This first vote does not definitively approve the expansion. Authorizes the start of a bidding process focused exclusively on Las Vegas and Seattle.
Two rounds of voting, one goal
The process includes two rounds of approval. The first opens the bidding process. The second, scheduled for the end of 2026, will formalize the transactions and confirm the expansion to 32 teams. In both instances, you need 23 votes in favor of the 30 governors (three quarters of the total).
Adam Silver set 2026 as the year of decision
The commissioner Adam Silver He declared it on December 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, during the final game of the NBA Cup. Silver was direct: the league will make a determination during the calendar year 2026. At the All-Star Weekend he also confirmed that the Board of Governors would be ready to take “the next step” in the negotiation with interested parties.
Read also: How many points did Bam Adebayo score against the Wizards? 83 points that rewrote NBA history
How much will an NBA expansion franchise cost?
Between 7,000 and 10,000 million dollars per team
Sector executives estimate that the purchase proposals will range between 7,000 and 10,000 million dollars for each team. For reference: the Los Angeles Lakers were sold in 2025 to Mark Walter for 10 billion dollarsthe highest amount ever paid by a professional sports team in the history of the United States.
The NBA franchise market skyrocketed in four years
The figures speak for themselves. In December 2022, the Phoenix Suns were sold to Mat Ishbia for 4 billion dollarsrecord at that time. In 2025, that record was surpassed multiple times. First the Boston Celtics with 6.1 billion (sold to Bill Chisholm). Then the Lakers, with 10,000 million. The Portland Trail Blazers closed in August 2025 with 4.25 billion dollarspurchased by Tom Dundon.
| Franchise | Buyer | Year | Valuation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Suns | Mat Ishbia | Dic. 2022 | $4,000 M |
| Boston Celtics | Bill Chisholm | 2025 | $6,100 M |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Tom Dundon | Ago. 2025 | $4,250 M |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Mark Walter | 2025 | $10,000 M ★ |
| Las Vegas (estimated) | To be determined | 2026 | $7,000–$10,000 M |
| Seattle (estimated) | To be determined | 2026 | $7,000–$10,000 M |
Why Las Vegas and Seattle, and not other cities?
Las Vegas: the entertainment capital already has a champion team
Las Vegas does not come to elite basketball virgins. The WNBA Aces They have been in the city since 2018 and have established themselves as a dynasty: champions in 2022, 2023 and 2025. In addition, the NBA league celebrates its Summer League anual in Las Vegas for more than two decades. The market has already proven that it can support top-level teams, with or without a title at stake.
Seattle: 17 years waiting for the return of the Sonics
Seattle lost its franchise in 2008, when the Seattle SuperSonics They moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. Since then, the fan base has kept the demand alive. The arena where the Sonics played — KeyArena — was completely renovated between 2018 and 2021, and is now called Climate Pledge Arena. It is the current headquarters of the hockey team Kraken and the women’s basketball team Storm of the WNBA.
This is what the Western Conference currently looks like prior to the NBA expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle
Groups interested in being owners
For Las Vegas, two basketball legends have publicly expressed their interest: LeBron James (who has said that “it makes perfect sense” for the NBA to come to Vegas) and Shaquille O’Neal (who recently indicated he was willing to get involved “with or without LeBron”). For Seattle, the group is led by Tim Leiwekeformer manager of the Toronto Raptors; and it has been speculated that Masai Ujiri He could be the team’s first general manager.
Precedents: what professional sports have already achieved in Las Vegas and Seattle
The Vegas Golden Knights model: the manual on how to make a successful expansion
In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights of the NHL debuted as the league’s 31st expansion team. In their first season they already reached the Stanley Cup Finals, an unprecedented milestone in the history of professional sports. The team recorded the 103.9% occupancy at T-Mobile Arena during that season and led merchandise sales throughout the NHL.
Seattle Kraken: the 2021 model that opened the door
In 2021, the NHL approved expansion to Seattle with the Krakenwho adopted the Climate Pledge Arena as their home. The NHL’s precedent in both cities is a key argument for NBA governors supporting expansion. If hockey prospered, basketball has all the ingredients to do so too.
| Liga | Equipment | Ciudad | Arrival year |
|---|---|---|---|
| NHL | Vegas Golden Knights | vegas | 2017 |
| NFL | Las Vegas Raiders | vegas | 2020 |
| WNBA | Las Vegas Aces | vegas | 2018 |
| MLB | Oakland Athletics | vegas | 2028 (projected) |
| NHL | Seattle Kraken | Seattle | 2021 |
| WNBA | Seattle Storm | Seattle | History |
The history of Seattle and the NBA: from champions to exiles
The SuperSonics: from 1967 to 2008
Los Seattle SuperSonics They were one of the historical pillars of the NBA. They played from 1967 to 2008, and won the championship in 1979. Their story was abruptly interrupted when the owner Clay Bennettbased in Oklahoma City, acquired the team in 2006 with intentions of moving it. Following a dispute over the KeyArena lease and a legal battle, the Sonics relocated in July 2008 and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Sonics disappeared in the 2007-08 season
History returns with the expansion team
If Seattle receives an expansion franchise, the Oklahoma City Thunder would give up all previous history of the SuperSonics to the new Seattle team. That includes the 1979 championship. The precedent already exists: in 2014, the Charlotte Hornets recovered the history of the original franchise that had emigrated to New Orleans and became the Pelicans.
What implications does expansion have for the NBA structure?
The rebalancing of conferences
If Las Vegas and Seattle join the Western Conference, the NBA would have 18 teams in the West and 14 in the East. To maintain balance at 16 teams per conference, one or two current teams from the West should move to the East. The most mentioned candidates are the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzliesfor geographical and calendar reasons.
The expansion is not unanimously celebrated. Some owners prefer to wait. The reason is economic: with 32 teams instead of 30, the league’s revenues—including the mega TV contract 76,000 million dollars for 11 years— would be divided into smaller parts. Each governor would have 1/30 to have 1/32 of the cake.
The commitment to long-term growth
The argument in favor is strong: an entry fee of 7,000 to 10,000 million dollars per franchise would represent an extraordinary income for the current owners. Additionally, two new high-net-worth markets would generate additional revenue in sponsorships, local television and attendance. The NBA is also advancing in parallel in the creation of a league in Europe, with a deadline for proposals of March 31, 2026.
The last time the NBA grew: Charlotte 2004
More than two decades without expansion
The last NBA expansion occurred in 2004with the incorporation of the Charlotte Bobcats (today Hornets). We have more than 21 years without the league adding a new team. To dimension it: when the Bobcats debuted, LeBron James had just been #1 in the Draft. The iPhone did not exist. The global basketball market was a fraction of what it is today.
VAR CHECK: The questions everyone is asking about NBA expansion
When will the NBA vote on expansion?
The NBA Board of Governors will vote on March 24 and 25, 2026 during your scheduled meetings. This is the first of two votes. The second, to formalize the expansion to 32 teams, could be held later in the same year.
When would the Las Vegas and Seattle teams start playing?
If the process advances without interruptions, the NBA’s goal is for both franchises to begin competing in the 2028-29 season. That involves two years of preparation: bidding process, selection of owners, construction or adaptation of arenas and preparation of the roster.
How much is an NBA expansion franchise worth?
Industry experts estimate proposals between 7,000 and 10,000 million dollars per team. That range reflects recent sales of existing franchises: the Lakers for $10 billion and the Celtics for $6.1 billion in 2025. The average value of an NBA franchise in 2026 is 5.52 billion dollarsaccording to CNBC.
How many votes does the NBA need to approve expansion?
In both rounds of voting, a vote in favor of 23 of the 30 governorsequivalent to three quarters of the total. There is “growing momentum” among owners in favor of expansion, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, although some prefer to wait for financial results before deciding.
What will happen to the history of the Seattle SuperSonics?
If Seattle receives an expansion team, the Oklahoma City Thunder will give up previous history of the SuperSonics to the new Seattle franchise. That includes the 1979 championship and all of the Sonics’ historical records. The 1979 trophy never left Seattle: it is kept in the city’s Museum of History and Industry.
Which teams could move to the Eastern Conference with expansion?
To maintain the balance of 16 teams per conferenceone or two teams from the West should move to the East. The most mentioned candidates are the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzliesalthough the New Orleans Pelicans are also in the conversation.
Who wants to be owners of the new equipment?
For Las Vegas, they stand out LeBron James y Shaquille O’Nealwho have publicly expressed their interest. For Seattle, Tim Leiweke leads the investment group with possible participation of Masai Ujiri as future GM.
Final reflection: the NBA facing its most important decision in two decades
This isn’t just a vote about two cities. It’s a statement about what kind of league the NBA wants to be in the next generation. Las Vegas and Seattle are not experiments: they are markets with proven sports histories, ready infrastructure, and hungry fan bases.
The resistance of some owners is understandable. Nobody wants to dilute their shares in the league of big stars. But the opposite argument is more powerful: Why leave between $14 billion and $20 billion in entry fees on the table? to protect a status quo that is already outdated? The NBA grew for 21 years without expansion. The world of basketball is not the same as it was in 2004.
March 25 could be the date that professional basketball history changes forever.
DOCUMENTATION AND SOURCES:
ESPN México — NBA will vote on expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle: sources
Sports Business Journal — NBA to vote on exploring expansion in Las Vegas, Seattle (marzo 2026)
The Athletic / NYT — NBA owners expected to take next step on possible expansion to Seattle, Las Vegas
CBS Sports — Seattle, Las Vegas favored in NBA expansion
Wikipedia — Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City
Sports Illustrated — Thunder Will Transfer History to SuperSonics If Seattle Gets Expansion Team
Hoops Rumors — Warriors, Lakers Top 2025 NBA Franchise Valuations
