If expansion is in the NBA’s future, it probably won’t happen until after the next television contract is negotiated, Marc Stein writes in a story for Substack.
NBA owners aren’t in a hurry to add two new teams before working out the new deal, which could double the current revenue that they get from TV. That contract is valued at $24 billion over nine years and will expire following the 2024/25 season. The next television deal is expected to significantly raise the value of each franchise and will eventually increase the expansion fees that the new teams will have to pay.
The owners would also like to finalize a new collective bargaining agreement with the union before they consider expansion, Stein adds. Negotiations with the NBPA have already started, and either side can opt out of the current CBA in December.
During his annual NBA Finals press conference, commissioner Adam Silver dismissed the idea that Seattle and Las Vegas are being targeted for expansion teams in 2024. However, Stein states that those two cities should be considered heavy favorites when expansion does happen, noting that Silver was very complimentary to both of them at his media session.
“Those are wonderful markets,” Silver said. “We were in Seattle. I’m sorry we are no longer there. We have a WNBA team in Seattle in an almost brand-new building that’s doing spectacular. And Las Vegas, where we will be at our summer league in July, has shown itself to be a great sports market as well.”
And we finally get the real story. We kept hearing things like diluted talent as excuses for not expanding, which is not remotely true. Always follow the money trail. Waiting for the new tv contract to extract more money out of potential buyers has been the catalyst to this whole thing.
Good the nba doesn’t need more teams, it needs less
The NBA needs to contract 2 teams.
Which part do you guys don’t understand that won’t happen? Players would be out of the league. The PA won’t let that happen ever.
Expand the rosters?
I guess Charlotte won’t have their team back. Be neat to see a NBA basketball team in Pittsburgh or Buffalo areas. It would be a hard sell for Buffalo with Knicks and Nets in New York. Buffalo would have plenty of room for a fan base. Canadian border near by with Toronto, but they could draw a major sporting team. They do well with Sabres NHL and Bills NFL as in regards to fan attendance. Even when they are bad, fans still show up.
Pittsburgh ain’t never getting a team. They don’t even show up for pirates games.
And where would they put teams? Yuma? Albany? Providence?
So once there is a new TV deal there will be at least 4 more dudes making Max that aren’t max players. Just food for thought.
Tuscaloosa Tornadoes
Las Vegas Inebriators
LV and SEA make perfect sense, they would need to move MEM to the EC and is all set…..LBJ will own LV and Jeff Bezos will own the Seattle team with the Rock….save this message and call me prophet in 3 years….
all that sounds pretty reasonbale and realistic
There should be a team in Flint. Jackie Moon deserves a shot at playing in the NBA. Flint Tropics FTW!
I’m surprised there hasn’t been a team in Las Vegas. I’ve always seen Vegas as a sports city. The glitz and glamour just adds to it.
Kc,St. LouismTampa Bay future team.