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

Teen Girl Squad · Post #221 » by **Teen Girl Squad** » Mon May 30, 2022 2:50 pm

As mentioned, I can't see it as long as markets like NO exist (no offense to their fans, I don't believe total fan base size makes them less dedicated fans). It makes too much sense for teams like NO to move and take advantage of the bigger market. Unlike the NFL, the NBA is also not in a place of insatiable demand where new expansion teams would move the needle on TV contracts.

wegotthabeet · Post #222 » by **wegotthabeet** » Mon May 30, 2022 2:56 pm

God Squad wrote:Is this real or cap?

cap. everyone knows Vancouver and Montreal are getting the two expansion teams.

Post #223 » by **Cactus Jack** » Mon May 30, 2022 6:43 pm

God Squad wrote:Is this real or cap?

Nothing is official. But it has been in the works for quite a while.

Seattle has a new arena that opened last October. Along with a new NHL team, the Kraken.

The same group (OVG) that built the arena in Seattle is now building one in Vegas. Specifically for an NBA team among other things.

Tim Leiweke was the Chairman of MLSE at one time. He is now building arena's around the world & very much has his hands on this thing (expansion).

monopoman · Post #224 » by **monopoman** » Mon May 30, 2022 6:58 pm

Wammy Giveaway wrote: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.

One of the main reasons the Thunder changed names was so the Sonics could exist again, the owners of the team that moved them said they would have a shared history of sorts. It's why they didn't just call them the Oklahoma City Sonics, since they felt the name belonged in Seattle.

JRoy · Post #225 » by **JRoy** » Mon May 30, 2022 7:31 pm

SEA needs a team. Lots of great fans up there.

EliteSmarts · Post #226 » by **EliteSmarts** » Mon May 30, 2022 7:33 pm

Pennebaker wrote:
Cactus Jack wrote:
ISB wrote:
Isn't that just the rennovated Key Arena where the sonics played though?..

It's practically a brand new building. In the same location. The project cost $1.2 Billion. It's 2x the size of the old arena.

The window at the one end is a cool addition. The old Key Arena was kind of claustrophobic and dark to me. Apparently fans can watch games from the outside like Tiny Tim peering in through a toy store window.

Whoa that is pretty coo!l You get me throwbacks to the 20th century when people stand on the sidewalks to watch TVs through the Windows of stores.

God Squad · Post #227 » by **God Squad** » Tue May 31, 2022 4:13 am

Cactus Jack wrote:
God Squad wrote:Is this real or cap?

Nothing is official. But it has been in the works for quite a while.

Seattle has a new arena that opened last October. Along with a new NHL team, the Kraken.

The same group (OVG) that built the arena in Seattle is now building one in Vegas. Specifically for an NBA team among other things.

Tim Leiweke was the Chairman of MLSE at one time. He is now building arena's around the world & very much has his hands on this thing (expansion).

Yeah Tim Leiweke is awesome. He was only here for IIRC 1 or 2 years, but he's the one who wanted and signed Masai. I'm in his debt for that alone. He's definitely a "Mover and Shaker" type, has a lot of influence as a CEO in this world.

Good things coming for Seattle, I couldn't care any less about Vegas though.

Post #228 » by **Capn'O** » Tue May 31, 2022 5:18 am

Well... if a team needs to be moved... OKC has basically been in liquidation mode for years. Bring em home.

Birdon · Post #229 » by **Birdon** » Tue May 31, 2022 5:51 am

Harden and Las Vegas are made for each other.

Ito · Post #230 » by **Ito** » Tue May 31, 2022 6:09 am

Good news.. more opportunities for ballers to make it in the NBA.. better this than having teams just move cities

JujitsuFlip · Post #231 » by **JujitsuFlip** » Sat Jun 4, 2022 9:16 pm

DoItALL9 · Post #232 » by **DoItALL9** » Wed Jun 8, 2022 6:42 am

Vague deflection... Tough to believe the Commissioner for what he's implying here

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Bologna Smasher · Post #233 » by **Bologna Smasher** » Wed Jun 8, 2022 6:56 am

I'll be happy to see a team in Seattle again. It has been way too long.

Las Vegas I'm not too sure about. I'd rather see another team in Canada or Cincinnati/Louisville.

Idaho is long overdue for an NBA team as well. Silver isn't going to go for that though. All the big name free agents would be flocking there to create the next superteam, which is a big no-no since we finally started getting some sort of parity back this season.

DoItALL9 · Post #234 » by **DoItALL9** » Wed Jun 8, 2022 10:03 pm

VCfor3 wrote:
LAL1947 wrote:
VCfor3 wrote: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!

Move Memphis to the East and figure out how to draw the straight line and you got it lol

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DoItALL9 · Post #235 » by **DoItALL9** » Wed Jun 8, 2022 10:04 pm

Eric Bieniemy wrote:Deep teams are going to get poached in the expansion draft.

Historically, teams have only been allowed to protect eight players.

Deeper protections this time?

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DoItALL9 · Post #236 » by **DoItALL9** » Wed Jun 8, 2022 10:06 pm

Infinite Llamas wrote:
NZB2323 wrote:
Infinite Llamas wrote: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.

Memphis is also closer to Boston than San Antonio.

Geographically, if the league wants to do east/west, there is no debate that Memphis is closer to East teams in terms of the map.

Do more teams in the West save money cutting Memphis rather than Minnesota from their intraconference schedule?

In the East is there much $avings adding Memphis rather than Minnesota?

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NZB2323 · Post #237 » by **NZB2323** » Wed Jun 8, 2022 10:43 pm

DoItALL9 wrote:
Infinite Llamas wrote:
NZB2323 wrote:
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.

Memphis is also closer to Boston than San Antonio.

Geographically, if the league wants to do east/west, there is no debate that Memphis is closer to East teams in terms of the map.
Do more teams in the West save money going cutting Memphis rather than Minnesota?

In the East is the much $avings adding Memphis vs Minnesota?

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Minnesota isn’t close to any West teams, and having Portland and Minnesota in the same division really doesn’t make any sense. Minnesota is right by Milwaukee and Chicago.

Memphis is close to New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, and OKC. It makes a lot more sense to move Minnesota to the East.

DoItALL9 · Post #238 » by **DoItALL9** » Thu Jun 9, 2022 6:35 am

Is it possible Las Vegas has become over-saturated?

FeatheryTouch · Post #239 » by **FeatheryTouch** » Thu Jun 9, 2022 7:23 am

DoItALL9 wrote:Is it possible Las Vegas has become over-saturated?

Based purely on local population and demographics maybe so, but I've got to think that the hotels and casinos buy blocks of tickets/suites and have promotional arrangements with a team - a reliable flow of tourists and high-rollers probably helps pump extra dollars in and inflate the financial projections.

Clemenza · Post #240 » by **Clemenza** » Thu Jun 9, 2022 8:22 am

DoItALL9 wrote:Is it possible Las Vegas has become over-saturated?

They would have to be capped out in disposable income after a NBA team imo as that would make three pro teams in the market. I highly doubt they they can support an MLB team with its 81 home game schedule. You need dozens of suburbs, wealthy suburbs, and a larger metro area to pull in fans for a successful baseball season attendance wise