The NBA is preparing to return to two of its biggest missing markets
In short: For decades, Seattle and Las Vegas have been the holy grails of basketball expansion. In 2026, the NBA Board of Governors finally gave the green light to explore adding both cities to the league, aiming to launch new franchises by the 2028–29 season.
The NBA's path to 30 teams has been a volatile journey of expansion and contraction. While the league peaked at 17 teams in 1949–50, it shrank back to eight by 1955. Growth stabilized in the late 1960s, with 14 of the current 30 teams joining between 1966 and 1974. This era also saw the 1976 ABA–NBA merger, which integrated four teams including the Denver Nuggets and the San Antonio Spurs.
Seattle's return is a complex matter of historical restoration. The city hosted the SuperSonics from 1967–68 until 2008, when the team moved to Oklahoma City after a failure to agree on a new arena. A 2026 permit could see Seattle reclaim the SuperSonics' legacy, whereas the Oklahoma City Thunder would be viewed as a fresh 2008 entity.
Las Vegas presents a different narrative: a brand-new destination. The city has hosted the NBA Summer League since 2018 and various NBA Cup games. The expansion effort there is already a high-stakes bidding war. Three main contenders for team ownership persisted until September 2026: the Lauries, a partnership between Marc Lasry and Steve Apostolopoulos, and a joint venture by Jerry Colangelo and Bill Foley.
The timeline for these moves is aggressive. The NBA aims to finalize the expansion process by the end of 2026. If approved, the league will hold its 12th expansion draft before the 2028 NBA draft, with both teams targeted to begin play in the 2028–29 season.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Expansion of the NBA
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/places-expansion-of-the-nba.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Cities · More in Countries & Cities · Latest · A–Z · All topics
