The NBA has not expanded in over two decades, with the Charlotte Bobcats, now the Hornets, being the last team added as the league's 30th franchise in 2004.
And as speculations grow around potential expansion markets—both domestically and internationally—NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the league is actively exploring the possibility of adding new teams.
However, he emphasized that detailed analysis is required before any concrete steps can be taken.
"A lot of analysis still needs to be done, and nothing’s been predetermined one way or another, and without any specific timeline. We’re going to be as thorough as possible and look at all the potential issues," Silver said following the Board of Governors’ meeting in Las Vegas, where the 2025 Summer League is taking place.
He added that the process will be led by two subcommittees of the league's governors: the Advisory Finance Committee, which has primary responsibility for expansion, and the Audit and Strategy Committee, which focuses on financial matters.
While the topic of expansion was discussed during the NBA Finals, Silver reiterated that the process is still in its early stages.
“We’re now engaging in this in-depth analysis, something we weren’t prepared to do before,” he stated.
Silver continued, “But beyond that, it’s really day one of that analysis. In terms of price and potential timeline — too early to say. It is truly a complicated issue.”
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Silver outlined the next steps in the analysis, which include evaluating potential markets, investigating facilities, and assessing the "appetite" for new teams in those markets.
The 63-year-old also raised concerns about the potential impact of expansion on local television deals, noting that the NBA "could not proceed" with expansion until the league has a clear understanding of how regional television coverage will operate.
"We would be malpracticing if we didn’t figure out how local regional television is going to work before expanding," he said.
"The notion that we would hand over a team to a city where we’re not currently operating and say, ‘You’re going to have to figure out how you’re going to distribute your games to your local fans’ doesn’t make sense," Silver added.
While no formal decision has been made regarding specific cities, Silver acknowledged that Seattle is frequently mentioned as a potential expansion market.
The city, which previously housed the SuperSonics before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, is often seen as a frontrunner.
"Seattle is an incredible market, but we have a responsibility to ensure that any decision we make is in the best interest of the league," he bared.
Although another city in Las Vegas is also often discussed in expansion talks, Silver cautioned that such a move would take time.
"I wish, standing here as the commissioner, I had lots of teams to dispense to many markets who are interested in NBA basketball," the league commissioner said.
"But we also have this greater obligation to expand, if we do so, in a very deliberate fashion," he added.
