Adam Silver Discusses Expansion, NBA Europe, Tanking, More
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.”
[UPDATE: NBPA To Seek Change To 65-Game Rule]
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.”
Community Shootaround: Potential Head Coaching Changes
It’s extremely rare for an offseason to come and go without at least one NBA team making a head coaching change. Half of the league’s 30 coaches have taken over their respective roles since the start of 2024, an indication of the kind of turnover that’s typical of the position.
With that in mind, it’s worth looking ahead to the end of the regular season to see if we can get a sense of which head coaching positions might open up this spring.
We should probably start in New Orleans and Portland, where James Borrego and Tiago Splitter aren’t technically the permanent head coaches for the Pelicans and Trail Blazers, respectively. Borrego replaced Willie Green when he was let go earlier in the season, while Splitter took the reins in Portland after Chauncey Billups was arrested in October in relation to an investigation into illegal gambling.
Whether those two coaches hang onto their jobs through the start of the 2026/27 season remains to be seen, but Borrego has the Pelicans playing their best basketball of the season in recent weeks, and it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Billups reclaims his position with the Trail Blazers, regardless of how his legal situation plays out. Time will tell whether either of those clubs deems it necessary to conduct a coaching search in the coming weeks or months.
Elsewhere, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan‘s future has been the subject of speculation this week, starting with a report from Joe Cowley of The Chicago-Sun Times that cast doubt on whether Donovan will remain in Chicago beyond this season.
According to Cowley, there has been “growing speculation” that Donovan will step down from his position with the Bulls in order to take a season off and reevaluate his options going forward. It has been an emotional year for Donovan, Cowley writes, noting that the veteran head coach lost his father and mother-in-law within weeks of one another.
A return to college basketball is another rumored path for Donovan, with Jeff Borzello of ESPN suggesting that he’d be “at or near” the top of UNC’s list following Hubert Davis‘ exit from Chapel Hill. Sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints that Donovan would “seriously consider” the idea of coaching the Tar Heels if the school targeted him for the job.
Siegel (Twitter link) was also among the NBA observers speculating about Jamahl Mosley‘s job security in Orlando after the Magic – losers of six straight games – dropped Monday’s game to the Pacers, who entered the night on a 16-game losing streak of their own. While Mosley and the Magic have had to deal with a handful of injury issues this season, the 38-34 team has still underperformed relative to expectations after parting ways with four first-round picks last offseason for Desmond Bane.
Doc Rivers is one of the NBA’s most widely respected head coaches, and it would be a surprise if the Bucks were to unceremoniously fire him at season’s end, but he’s about to have a losing record across a full season for the first time since 2006/07, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. It’s not all that hard to envision a scenario where he and the Bucks determine they’re better off going their separate ways and mutually announce that they’re “parting ways.”
Steve Kerr is another esteemed member of the NBA’s head coaching ranks and won’t be let go by the Warriors. However, he doesn’t have a contract beyond this season and it’s unclear how enthusiastic he’ll be to remain in his current role on the heels of a disappointing season in Golden State. A banged-up Warriors team would be lucky at this point to claw its way into the playoffs as a massive first-round underdog to Oklahoma City or San Antonio.
Among lottery-bound teams, Doug Christie of the Kings and Brian Keefe of the Wizards are also worth keeping an eye on. The Sixers will at least make the play-in tournament, but if they don’t advance any further than that, we’ll see if Philadelphia sticks with Nick Nurse.
It’s also not uncommon for clubs with championship aspirations to make a change after being ousted in the playoffs, even if they win a series or two, as we saw a year ago in New York with Tom Thibodeau, so it will be interesting to see which clubs are eliminated earlier than expected. While there are no playoff coaches in obvious, imminent danger, first-round exits would be discouraging outcomes for the likes of Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers), Chris Finch (Timberwolves), Ime Udoka (Rockets), and Mike Brown (Knicks).
We want to know what you think. Which teams do you expect to hire a new head coach this offseason? Will it be a busy spring on the coaching market, or will we only see a couple clubs make changes?
Head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!
Warriors Sign Omer Yurtseven To Second 10-Day Contract
2:19 pm: Yurtseven’s new 10-day deal is now official, the Warriors announced in a press release (Twitter link).
10:54 am: The Warriors will re-sign center Omer Yurtseven for another 10 days after his first 10-day contract with the team expired overnight on Tuesday, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link).
Yurtseven, who initially signed with Golden State on March 15, made five appearances during his first deal, averaging 3.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game. Big man Kristaps Porzingis has been in and out of the Warriors’ lineup while Al Horford has been on the shelf with a calf strain, opening the door for Yurtseven to play a little, though he received his first DNP-CD on Monday vs. Dallas.
Yurtseven averaged 5.0 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 11.8 MPG in 113 NBA regular season appearances with the Heat and Jazz from 2021-24 before spending most of the past two years overseas playing for Panathinaikos. He recently parted ways with the Greek EuroLeague team and signed a G League contract, appearing in three games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers before being promoted to the NBA by Golden State.
As we relayed over the weekend, Yurtseven made a positive first impression on Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
“I’m a fan of Omer — he’s a very good player, very talented,” Kerr said. “He’s a good passer, he can shoot, and he’s had success in the NBA. We’ve only had him for a few days, but I enjoy watching him every day and seeing how he fits with the other guys.”
Assuming Yurtseven officially re-signs with the Warriors on Wednesday, his contract will run through April 3, covering the club’s next five games. Once it expires, Golden State would have to either let him walk or sign him to a rest-of-season or multiyear deal.
Yurtseven’s second 10-day contract will pay him $141,463, while the Warriors will carry a $131,970 cap hit.
Central Notes: Nance, Cunningham, Cavs, McClung
When the Bucks promoted forward Pete Nance to their 15-man roster, they dipped into their room exception to sign him to a new three-year, $5.81MM contract that exceeds a minimum deal in terms of both first-year salary and total years, Hoops Rumors has confirmed.
The Bucks used roughly $5.13MM of their room exception last summer to re-sign Kevin Porter Jr., and it has been prorating downward since January 10, but the team still had a portion of it left to put toward Nance’s contract.
Nance received a $600K salary for the rest of this season, well above his prorated minimum of $277,137. As a trade-off, the deal includes a non-guaranteed minimum salary ($2,497,812) for 2026/27, with a non-guaranteed minimum-salary team option ($2,707,612) for ’27/28.
Nance’s 2026/27 salary would become guaranteed if he remains under contract through July 4, 2026.
We have more from around the Central:
- In the wake of the NBPA issuing a statement criticizing the 65-game rule in support of Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, agent Jeff Schwartz added his voice to those arguing that his client doesn’t deserve to miss out on All-NBA recognition this season. “Cade has delivered a first-team All-NBA season,” Schwartz told ESPN’s Shams Charania. “If he falls just short of an arbitrary games-played threshold due to legitimate injury, it should not disqualify him from recognition he has clearly earned over the course of the season. The league should be rewarding excellence, not enforcing rigid cutoffs that ignore context. An exception needs to be made.” Cunningham, who was diagnosed last week with a collapsed lung, appears unlikely to make the five additional appearances necessary to meet the 65-game threshold.
- The Cavaliers beat Orlando on Tuesday for their fourth consecutive win, but head coach Kenny Atkinson expressed displeasure after the game with his defense, which surrendered 131 points in the victory, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I just told the team in the locker room, if we’re going to play defense like this, we’re going to have a short playoff stint,” Atkinson said. “… We’re the number one offensive team over the last (several) games. But there’s two sides of the ball. We’re tilted one way right now. … You have to be good on both ends. You got to be top 10 (on) offense and defense; it gives you the best chance. We’re not.” Atkinson added that the “guys who defend” will be the ones who are part of his rotation in the playoffs.
- One of just two players in NBA history to win three dunk contests, Bulls two-way guard Mac McClung now holds another record. He’s the G League’s new all-time leading scorer across the regular season, Tip-Off Tournament, and postseason, having surpassed Renaldo Major‘s 5,299 total points, according to the league (Twitter link). Major still holds the NBAGL record for regular season points (5,058).
Butler Hires Hawks Assistant Ronald Nored As Head Coach
Hawks assistant Ronald Nored is leaving his NBA job to become the head coach at Butler University. The move was first reported by Matt Norlander of CBS Sports and has been officially confirmed by the school.
“The term ‘dream job’ doesn’t do justice to how I feel about the opportunity to lead the Butler program,” Nored said in a statement. “Butler is an incredibly special place. As a player, I poured blood, sweat and tears into this program. No one appreciates both the responsibility and the potential that comes with this position more than me. Passionate fans, Hinkle Fieldhouse, the BIG EAST, storied tradition, a world-class education, a thriving city… there is incredible momentum at Butler right now and I can’t wait to hit the ground running as we elevate Butler to new heights.”
A longtime NBA assistant, Nored has spent the past three seasons under Quin Snyder in Atlanta. He was also a member of Rick Carlisle‘s Pacers staff from 2021-23, worked with the Hornets under James Borrego from 2018-21, and had a player development role in Boston in 2014/15 under his former Butler coach Brad Stevens.
Additionally, Nored has a little previous head coaching experience. From 2016-18, he served as the head coach of the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate.
A player for the Bulldogs from 2008-12, Nored was the starting point guard on the Butler squads that appeared in consecutive national championship games in 2010 and 2011. He’ll be replacing Thad Matta, who announced his retirement last week. Nored and Akron coach John Groce were the two finalists for the position, sources tell Norlander.
While neither Norlander’s report nor Butler’s press release confirmed that Nored will be leaving the Hawks immediately, before the end of the NBA season, the school indicated that he’ll be introduced to the media on Friday afternoon.
Celtics Re-Sign Charles Bassey On 10-Day Contract
12:00 pm: Bassey’s new 10-day contract is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
9:30 am: The Celtics intend to re-sign big man Charles Bassey to a second 10-day contract on Wednesday, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).
Bassey’s first 10-day deal expired overnight, dropping Boston’s roster count to 13 players on standard contracts. The team has already reached the 28-day limit this season for operating below 14 players, so a roster move was necessary to get back to that NBA-mandated minimum before Thursday, as we outlined earlier today.
The 53rd overall pick in the 2021 draft, Bassey spent his first four NBA seasons with the 76ers and Spurs, appearing in 113 games and averaging 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 11.1 minutes per contest from 2021-25. However, despite a strong Summer League showing last July in Las Vegas, he was unable to secure a regular roster spot at the NBA level this season and has bounced around among several teams in between G League stints.
Bassey signed a 10-day hardship contract with the Grizzlies in October, inked a pair of 10-day deals with Philadelphia in January and February, and will now complete a second 10-day pact with the Celtics, providing the club with some frontcourt depth while center Nikola Vucevic recovers from a finger injury.
Bassey has appeared in just five total NBA games this season, including two during his first 10 days with the Celtics. The 25-year-old logged a total of four minutes of garbage time in games against Golden State last Wednesday and vs. Minnesota on Sunday. In 20 total regular season outings at the G League level with the Santa Cruz Warriors and Delaware Blue Coats, he has averaged 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game, with a .606/.426/.654 shooting line.
Bassey’s new 10-day contract will run through April 3 and will carry a cap hit of $131,970, moving the Celtics to within $161,084 of the luxury tax line.
As of April 4, a rest-of-season minimum contract for a 14th man – whether that’s Bassey or someone else – will count for $118,773 against the cap, leaving Boston a little breathing room to sign a 15th man at the end of the season without becoming a taxpayer.
Hoops Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript: 3/25/2026
Hoops Rumors’ Arthur Hill held a live chat today exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers. Topics included the Lakers' plans for Austin Reaves, Draymond Green's future with the Warriors, the Sixers' playoff prospects with a healthy roster, Ja Morant's trade market and more!
Nets Sign Malachi Smith To Second 10-Day Deal
11:00 am: The Nets have officially signed Smith to a second 10-day contract, the team confirmed in a press release.
8:32 am: The Nets have agreed to re-sign guard Malachi Smith to a second 10-day contract following the expiration of his initial 10-day deal on Monday night, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Smith, who had been playing for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate in Long Island, appeared in six games during his first 10 days with the NBA team, averaging 6.2 points, 2.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 19.5 minutes per contest. The 26-year-old made 15-of-30 shots from the floor (50%), including 5-of-10 three-pointers.
A G League veteran who has also spent time with the Rip City Remix, Wisconsin Herd and Memphis Hustle since going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2023, Smith hadn’t appeared in an NBA regular season game until he suited up for the Nets on March 14 in Philadelphia.
The Nets haven’t made a roster move since Smith’s first 10-day contract expired on Monday night, so he’ll simply slot back into the open spot on the 15-man roster that he previously occupied. If Brooklyn wants to hang onto him beyond this second 10-day deal, it will require a rest-of-season or multiyear commitment, since a player can’t sign three 10-days with the same team.
Assuming Smith’s 10-day deal is officially finalized on Wednesday, it will cover the Nets’ next five games, running through next Friday (April 3). He’ll earn another $73,153 over the course of those 10 days, bringing his total NBA earnings for the season to $188,956 — that figure includes his two 10-day contracts ($73,153 apiece) and the $42,650 partial guarantee he received when he signed a camp contract with Brooklyn last fall.
NBA To Formally Explore Adding Expansion Teams In Seattle, Vegas
As expected, the NBA’s Board of Governors has voted in favor of formally exploring adding expansion franchises in Seattle and Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Charania first reported last week that the Board of Governors would be conducting a vote during their March 24-25 meetings on whether to explore potential bids and applicants for teams in those two specific cities. The plan required the approval of at least 23 of the NBA’s 30 team governors and the expectation was that the vote would have no trouble passing.
As Charania notes (via Twitter), momentum has been building toward the NBA expanding to 32 teams, with multiple high-ranking officials around the league referring to it as a matter for “when, not if.”
While some team owners have been wary in the past of reducing their portion of league revenue, expansion fees for new franchises are expected to be in the range of $7-10 billion, per Charania, which would result in massive one-time payments for each current NBA ownership group.
The next step, Charania explains, is for the NBA to spend the next several months vetting the Seattle and Vegas markets and potential bidders in order to determine whether to move forward on expansion at this time or in a few years. If the league opts to move forward with expansion sooner rather than later, the two new teams would likely begin playing in 2028/29, with necessary steps like conference/division realignment and an expansion draft taking place ahead of that season.
Confirming Charania’s reporting, the NBA put out a statement (via Twitter) announcing that the league has hired investment bank PJT Partners as a strategic adviser to “evaluate prospective markets, ownership groups, arena infrastructure, and the broader economic implications of expansion.”
“Today’s vote reflects our Board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle — two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball,” commissioner Adam Silver said. “We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.”
Seattle has been viewed as a possible expansion market ever since the SuperSonics were moved to Oklahoma City and rebranded as the Thunder in 2008. Seattle was part of the NBA for more than four decades and has a large group of loyal fans who still identify with the team.
The city already has a facility in place in Climate Pledge Arena, which was formerly known as Key Arena and serves as home to the NHL’s Kraken. It recently underwent a $1.15 billion renovation and can hold 18,300 fans for basketball. If an expansion team is approved for Seattle, the expectation is that it would reclaim the SuperSonics nickname, branding, and franchise history.
Las Vegas has never had an NBA franchise, but it has formed a strong partnership with the league by hosting Summer League games every July, as well as the semifinals and finals of the NBA Cup. T-Mobile Arena is the home of the NHL’s Golden Knights and hosts basketball games as well, with a capacity of 18,000 people.
While other cities – including Mexico City, Vancouver, Montreal, and Louisville, among others – have been occasionally cited as possible candidates for NBA expansion, Seattle and Vegas have long been considered the frontrunners in a scenario in which the league moves to a 32-team format.
The NBA last expanded in 2004, when Charlotte reentered the league as the Bobcats.
Roster Move Required For Celtics
The Celtics will need to make an addition to their 15-man roster on Wednesday following the expiration of Charles Bassey‘s 10-day contract overnight.
With Bassey no longer under contract, the Celtics are carrying just 13 players on standard deals. Teams aren’t permitted to have fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for more than 28 days during the season, and Boston has already reached that 28-day limit for 2025/26. The team had just 12 players on its 15-man roster from February 5-18 and again from March 1-14.
The Celtics have plotted out their post-trade-deadline roster moves carefully in order to ensure they keep their team salary below the luxury tax line. They currently have enough breathing room below that tax threshold to sign a 14th man to a rest-of-season, minimum-salary contract and then to add a 15th man (likely two-way player Ron Harper Jr.) on a minimum deal at the end of the regular season.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Celtics will complete a rest-of-season signing today. Doing another 10-day deal would give them the flexibility to reassess their roster needs on April 4 and make a decision on a rest-of-season commitment at that time.
Boston’s roster move today could be as simple as bringing back Bassey on a second 10-day contract, though the big man – signed to provide frontcourt depth with Nikola Vucevic sidelined – didn’t see much action during his first 10 days with the club. He logged a total of four minutes of garbage time in games against Golden State last Wednesday and vs. Minnesota on Sunday.