ESPN analyst Shams Charania has revealed that the NBA will add two more teams to the lineup to expand the league. The Board of Governors will hold a vote on March 24-25 and decide on adding Las Vegas and Seattle to the NBA conferences.
As per sources, the board of governors and the league will soon call for bids for franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle. The projections have estimated the bid range to be $7 to $10 billion, as both teams would be among the top eight revenue-generating markets in the NBA.
NBA analyst Charania wrote on X:
“The NBA will hold a vote at the Board of Governors meetings March 24-25 to explore adding expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, with the two franchises targeted for the 2028-29 season, sources tell ESPN. There is momentum for stakeholders to approve surveying what industry executives project will be bids in the $7-to-$10 billion range for each team.”
While Las Vegas would be a new addition, Seattle already had a team earlier in the league, named the Seattle Supersonics. However, the franchise was rebranded in 2008 as the OKC Thunder due to financial losses and a change in ownership.
Draft changes and other details related to NBA expansion
Since the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on viewership, the league has been pondering the idea of adding a couple of teams to the structure. And finally, the board of governors has decided to hold a vote on the decision. The expansion would have a direct impact on draft rules and is targeted to be executed till the 2028-29 season.
The NBA expansion draft rules might begin with existing teams retaining their existing players. Sources suggested that teams could be allowed to have eight players each from their rosters. However, such players could not be under expiring contracts or joining the restricted free agency.
Moreover, the team might be asked to expose at least one player each to be available in the market. The league might, at the same time, protect existing teams by allowing them to not lose more than one player in the expansion draft from each team.
To balance and realign conferences, after the two teams are added, the league will reportedly move the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies to the East. It will take the count to 16 teams in each conference. The last time the NBA expanded was in 2004 when they added the Charlotte Hornets.
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