Major NBA Expansion Plan Emerges With Two New Teams Targeted for 2028-29 Season
With still some major unrest within the league, the NBA could be heading toward its first expansion in more than two decades.
According to reports from Shams Charania, the league’s Board of Governors will vote next week on whether to begin the formal process of adding two new franchises, with Las Vegas and Seattle emerging as the clear targets.
If approved, the teams would begin play in the 2028–29 season, expanding the NBA from 30 to 32 teams.
However, the upcoming vote would not immediately finalize expansion, but it would allow the league to begin accepting bids for ownership groups in the two cities. A final vote later in the year would be required to officially add the teams, and that decision would need approval from at least 23 of the 30 team owners.
According to ESPN’s report, Industry estimates suggest potential franchise bids could range from $7 billion to $10 billion, making the expansion fees among the largest in professional sports history.
BREAKING: 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, per @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/DgDMP66NP3
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 16, 2026
And the handsome figure makes both cities attractive markets for the NBA future.
Talking about Las Vegas, it has rapidly grown into a major sports hub over the past decade, already hosting the NFL’s Raiders and the WNBA’s Aces, who have won multiple championships since relocating in 2018.
Meanwhile, Seattle has long pushed for the return of an NBA team after the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008.
NBA Expansion Could Push For Conference Realignment
While the voting would only initiate the expansion process, the league has more adjustments to make once things start rolling.
But adding two new teams would also trigger a structural shift across the NBA.
If Seattle and Las Vegas enter the league as Western Conference teams, the most likely scenario is that executives expect either the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Memphis Grizzlies to move to the Eastern Conference.
The change would restore balance by creating two 16-team conferences, and it would only fuel the competitiveness some fans and critics are missing lately.
The NBA has not expanded since 2004, when the Charlotte franchise joined the league. Seattle, meanwhile, has been without a team since 2008, when the SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder.
Las Vegas has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sports markets in North America. The city already hosts the NFL’s Raiders, the NHL’s Golden Knights, and the WNBA’s Aces, while MLB’s Athletics are also planning a move there later this decade.
Charania reported that league executives believe Seattle and Las Vegas could quickly rank among the NBA’s top revenue-generating markets, making them attractive expansion targets.
But the process will keep hitting roadblocks as it seems that not all owners are fully convinced yet. Some remain cautious about diluting their league equity, which would shift from 1/30 ownership to 1/32 once two new teams join.
Major NBA Expansion Plan Emerges With Two New Teams Targeted for 2028-29 Season
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