While the WNBA has been expanding at a rapid pace since the arrival of young superstars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, it’s not the only professional basketball league in the United States experiencing success.
In December, the NBA’s viewership was up 27% versus the same point last year, and now the league is looking to potentially ride that success into some expansion of its own, according to ESPN’s senior insider.
“Just in: 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,” reported Shams Charania on Monday.
“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.”
Potential ramifications
Seattle fans have dug in their heels, demanding that the NBA return to their city since the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City to form the Thunder. Now that it’s on the cusp of reality, the league could be looking at some interesting developments.
One is the potential return of Kevin Durant to the city that drafted him out of the University of Texas, as his current contract with the Houston Rockets is set to expire the same year Seattle rejoins the league.
The introduction of two expansion franchises, both on the western side of the country, would also almost certainly mean conference realignment. The Sporting Tribune founder Arash Markazi shared a graphic on Twitter showing what that might look like.
Nashville in the mix?
Not everyone is eager for Seattle to get a second go-around at an NBA franchise. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith argued on Monday in favor of Nashville getting a team and how it might compare to Seattle.
“Nashville is a growing city. A lot of people love Nashville, and obviously, they’re a very successful city, they are a thriving city in the United States of America… ” Smith said on Monday’s First Take episode. “You wonder about Nashville, comparing that to Seattle, and wondering what kind of possibilities may present (themselves) in that regard.”
The NBA has also been exploring adding teams in an international market to compete in a European league.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.