Rumor: NBA Expected to Announce Expansion Teams in Seattle and Las Vegas

[Wammy Giveaway]

Supersonics have to come back, but at what cost? Could existing NBA teams be asked to make some concessions? For example, what if Seattle demands that they'll only come back if the Supersonics come back, which is currently in the hands of the Thunder? Kevin Durant was also part of the move from Seattle to OKC, and as such, all playoff appearances beginning with their inaugural season in 2008 are now part of OKC history. They simply cannot absorb OKC's history as part of the deal, it would be as if OKC was just a shadow puppet acting on behalf of Seattle. Something like this would have to happen instead:

Seattle: Reclaims their history of 1967-2008, which includes an NBA championship in 1979
OKC: Returns Supersonics history back to Seattle while retaining their history from 2008 to present (keeping their 2012 Finals berth)

Note that I also put up the word "contraction," and while shutting down a franchise is no longer in the cards, be advised that it could happen. Some lower performing franchises in the league may see relocation or contraction. Bucks, Kings and Clippers were once targets of being shut down as a condition to resurrecting Supersonics. Bucks just won a title; Clippers have Steve Ballmer (and Jerry West) and a nifty new sports arena for the 2023-24 season. Kings may be the odd team out, especially now that they've surpassed the Clippers as the worst franchise in NBA history by virtue of a 16-year playoff drought, and while they may look to get back into the winning ways, Kings are currently recognized as a lost cause. And let's not forget, the NBA is looking to bring a team to Mexico soon, with Mexico City Capitanes as a testing ground.

[Bolts]

Seattle one, if not the best sports fan town in USA —— they deserve it.

Put the team in Belltown or in the ID and not in Bellevue pleaseeeee

Anywhere outside the Seattle City limits. I have no issue with Bellevue besides 405 traffic. I like thinking outside the box and saying south like Renton or Tukwila. Closer to the airport and hotels. But money will win out.

[NZB2323]

So would Memphis and New Orleans go to the East?

The west getting two expansion teams would be prettt crazy.

Memphis and New Orleans are a lot closer to OKC and Texas than Minnesota is to Utah and Portland. Minnesota is by Milwaukee and Chicago.

[chyau.00]

Seattle one, if not the best sports fan town in USA —— they deserve it.

Put the team in Belltown or in the ID and not in Bellevue pleaseeeee

the team will be at climate pledge arena...they already built out the nba offices/locker rooms for it.

[brutalitops]

What's the go on jumping ship? I was originally a sonics fan and went to the wolves once they folded. Would feel super guilty bailing back off

[leper-con]

license to print money if you own the Vegas Team.

[LAL1947]

this cap spike is going to be insane. super teams are definitely coming back.

Superteams will never go away as long as the nba has maximum salaries

Maximum contracts are not the real problem...

Super-teams will never go away as long as the NBA has a soft-cap instead of a hard-cap.

[Jsun947]

This guy isn't exactly the most credible...

The league would be so much better if they expanded, make it a 62 game season (1 game home, 1 game away against every team), completely eliminated conferences and divisions, and playoffs matchups are set by choosing your opponent.

[Scoundreldays]

Hell yeah another reason to go to Vegas

[VCfor3]

So would Memphis and New Orleans go to the East?

The west getting two expansion teams would be prettt crazy.

Memphis and New Orleans are a lot closer to OKC and Texas than Minnesota is to Utah and Portland. Minnesota is by Milwaukee and Chicago.

Only one current team would go East if both expansion teams went to the West. I'm hoping it is Memphis, but Minnesota has a decent argument as well.

[LAL1947]

Seattle and Vegas make the most sense. Also, the league can finally send Minnesota to the East.

[baldur]

Meh. I actually think this NBA is really exciting right now because there is so much talent. 30 more roster spots will dilute the league again.

Las Vegas about to pick up a ton of easy home wins.

Did you check Houston, Detroit, Indiana, Portland and okc's rosters?

[ISB]

Seattle one, if not the best sports fan town in USA —— they deserve it.

Put the team in Belltown or in the ID and not in Bellevue pleaseeeee

the team will be at climate pledge arena...they already built out the nba offices/locker rooms for it.

How good were the renovations at that place? I know at one point the NBA considered that arena unsalvageable. Now obviously Clay Bennet had ulterior motives, but I think there would have been a fight over that arena with any owner.

On a related note, how much money did Clay Bennet lose by trading in the rights to the Seattle market for OKC? That guy must really love his hometown.

[LAL1947]

So would Memphis and New Orleans go to the East?

The west getting two expansion teams would be prettt crazy.

Memphis and New Orleans are a lot closer to OKC and Texas than Minnesota is to Utah and Portland. Minnesota is by Milwaukee and Chicago.

Only one current team would go East if both expansion teams went to the West. I'm hoping it is Memphis, but Minnesota has a decent argument as well.

Memphis should stay in the West, we like Memphis.

Let Minnesota go to the East. It's close to Milwaukee and Chicago... and it gets cold!

[SOUL]

Don’t need more teams

We aren't getting more teams. Cuban already spelled out what expansion actually is--nothing but a short-term loan to the existing franchises with a huge back end loss. New Markets can't generate 1/16th of the existing NBA revenue required just to break even. Not even close. So the existing governors aren't going to vote for this.

If Seattle and Vegas get teams it will be existing teams moving there. Adding franchises is a money losing proposition for the existing teams and they know it even if fans don't understand the franchise fees are quickly given back by the additional revenue split.

Huh? I don't see why they couldn't. NHL has 32 teams. Obviously NFL do as well but they're a money making beast so I won't count them. Also expansion is just that - expanding teams. Not taking existing ones.

Cuban's 2013 quotes:

"I just think the price of the expansion fee has to be so high that the NBA owners think, ‘OK, we’re crazy not to do it,’ " Cuban said. "What that number is, I don’t know. But I’m open to it. It just depends on the price. If it’s the price of the last one, no. I thought that was a huge mistake and I voted against it. It just depends on the price."

"He said that he firmly believes that there will be another expansion before the league relocates a current team."

A more recent quote:

"Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said on the Bill Simmons podcast last week that he favors expansion but argued that counting on the fee to fill shortfalls doesn’t make sense. The fee is essentially a loan that needs to get paid back through revenue sharing, the billionaire said."

I certainly think it's possible. Not a slam dunk but seems somewhat likely. I know there's been a few rumors with the Timberwolves recently though so that might be interesting.

[VCfor3]

Memphis and New Orleans are a lot closer to OKC and Texas than Minnesota is to Utah and Portland. Minnesota is by Milwaukee and Chicago.

Only one current team would go East if both expansion teams went to the West. I'm hoping it is Memphis, but Minnesota has a decent argument as well.

Memphis should stay in the West, we like Memphis.

Let Minnesota go to the East. It's close to Milwaukee and Chicago... and it gets cold!

I'm going to ignore all of your extremely valid and logical arguments simply because I just want to be able to watch the games and still go to bed before 1am most nights #MemphisToTheEast

Really though I'd be fine with either of Memphis or Minnesota as the team that moves East. Minnesota seems to have our number so as long as they aren't in the same conference as Memphis I count it as a win ha!

[CobraCommander]

Seattle one, if not the best sports fan town in USA —— they deserve it.

Put the team in Belltown or in the ID and not in Bellevue pleaseeeee

the team will be at climate pledge arena...they already built out the nba offices/locker rooms for it.

How good were the renovations at that place? I know at one point the NBA considered that arena unsalvageable. Now obviously Clay Bennet had ulterior motives, but I think there would have been a fight over that arena with any owner.

On a related note, how much money did Clay Bennet lose by trading in the rights to the Seattle market for OKC? That guy must really love his hometown.

Love the Krakens - the city gonna be rocking!

[twozeroMM]

Once this happens and a team does end up back in Seattle, how does this work with records or any relations to past Seattle teams? Or does it start fresh because it's an expansion team?

[Bruin]

If the league becomes 32 teams i wonder what the division landscape will look like. I’m guessing it’ll be 8 divisions of 4 teams each

[NZB2323]

So would Memphis and New Orleans go to the East?

The west getting two expansion teams would be prettt crazy.

Memphis and New Orleans are a lot closer to OKC and Texas than Minnesota is to Utah and Portland. Minnesota is by Milwaukee and Chicago.

Only one current team would go East if both expansion teams went to the West. I'm hoping it is Memphis, but Minnesota has a decent argument as well.

Minnesota is 1,638 miles away from Portland, 1,258 miles away from Salt Lake City, 945 miles away from Denver, and 913 miles away from OKC, their divisional opponents.

Minnesota is only 463 miles away from Milwaukee, 534 miles to Chicago, 717 miles away from Indiana, and 649 miles away from Detroit.

Memphis is 453 miles away from Dallas, 726 miles away from San Antonio, 584 miles away from houston, and 395 miles away from New Orleans, it's divisional opponents.

Memphis is 390 miles away from Atlanta, 636 miles away from Charlotte, 828 miles away from Orlando, and 1,051 miles away from Miami.