Adam Silver‘s press conference at the conclusion of the league’s latest Board of Governors meetings on Wednesday was an eventful one, as the NBA commissioner discussed next steps for potential expansion, the latest developments related to NBA Europe, the league’s anti-tanking efforts, and more.
Here are some of the highlights from Silver’s presser, sorted by subject:
On exploring expansion to Vegas and Seattle:
- Silver hopes to have a formal decision by the end of this year on the possibility of expanding to Las Vegas and/or Seattle, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “Our goal was in 2026 to resolve this issue one way or the other,” Silver said. “So, my timeline — we weren’t so specific with the board — is that we need to know by the end of this calendar year what it is we’re doing. It may not be that every ‘I’ is dotted, but that would be our goal, this year.”
- The NBA has yet to reach any deals with potential ownership groups, Silver said, adding that the bidding process is wide open. “If you are interested, and I’ll say that now to people who may be listening or watching this, if you’re interested, call the league office, call PJT Partners directly in New York,” Silver said, referring to the investment bank the league hired as a strategic adviser. “I just want to make sure everybody understands there’s been no handshakes on the side. There’s been no commitments. There’s no promises to anyone. This is a completely transparent process.”
- Expanding to 32 teams isn’t a given, Silver said today (Twitter link via Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints): “There is absolutely a chance expansion may not happen. It’s also possible we could expand to one market, maybe two, or no markets.” Silver did add that there’s reason to believe there will be “enormous” interest in the Vegas and Seattle markets.
- Silver acknowledged that some team owners don’t see the need to expand beyond 30 teams, citing concerns about possible dilution of talent and further divvying up NBA revenue shares, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. However, the substantial potential of the Vegas and Seattle markets factored into the decision to move forward with exploring expansion. That vote was unanimous, ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an NBA Today appearance (Twitter video link).
On NBA Europe:
- Mark Tatum, the NBA’s deputy commissioner, provided team owners with an update on plans for NBA Europe at the Board of Governors meetings, but no vote was conducted on the potential European league, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
- Although Silver said there has been a ton of enthusiasm about NBA Europe, he acknowledged that the “best outcome” would be if the NBA could join forces with the EuroLeague on the venture rather than the two leagues competing against one another (Twitter link via Marc Stein).
On tanking:
- The NBA will hold a special Board of Governors meeting in May to make a decision on what new rules will be implemented to deter tanking, Silver told reporters (Twitter link via Reynolds).
- “We are going to fix it … full stop,” Silver said in reference to the NBA’s tanking issue (Twitter link via Stein).
- The commissioner added that the league needs to do something more “extreme” than it has in the past, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link). “Going into next season, the incentives will be completely different than we are right now,” Silver said.
On the 65-game rule:
- Despite backlash from media members, the National Basketball Players Association, and agents, it doesn’t sound like Silver is eager to abolish – or even make changes to – the 65-game rule for end-of-season award eligibility, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
- Calls to modify the rule have increased with Pistons star Cade Cunningham looking likely to fall a few games short of the minimum. While Silver is sympathetic to Cunningham’s situation and says he’s always open to talking to the NBPA, he’s less convinced it’s a major problem. “I’m not ready to say it’s not working,” Silver said of the rule (Twitter link via Siegel). “It is working… I’m not ready to say because there is a sense of unfairness for one player, that the rule doesn’t work.”
On the Trail Blazers’ sale to incoming owner Tom Dundon and their future in Portland:
- Reporting last summer suggested that March 31 was the target date for Tom Dundon to close his purchase of majority control of the Trail Blazers. Silver suggested on Wednesday that timeline hasn’t changed. “We expect that there’ll be a vote shortly from our board,” he said, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (subscription required). “Tom and his group were just interviewed yesterday, so that’s now the additional process. But that should happen in short order. I think Tom is anxious and ready to go and wants to build a championship franchise there.”
- As the Blazers look to secure a long-term future in Portland, they’ve focused on making renovations to the Moda Center rather than building a new arena, writes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (subscription required). Asked if the NBA views those renovations as sufficient to keep the team in Portland and incentivize Dundon to agree to the 20-year lease terms being discussed, Silver replied, “I believe so. The plan is to have long-term stability for the franchise. I’ve talked directly to the governor, the mayor, the city council. We wouldn’t be going through this process if the plan wasn’t to have a long-term lease in Portland. I don’t want to speak for Tom Dundon, but I know he sees the opportunity to be very successful in Portland. It’s an important market for the NBA. Tom understands that, and I admire the way the community has come together.”