"I'd say in terms of domestic expansion, that is something we're continuing to look at," Silver said at a news conference before the NBA Cup championship game between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. "It's not a secret we're looking at this market in Las Vegas. We are looking at Seattle. We've looked at other markets, as well. I'd say I want to be sensitive there about this notion that we're somehow teasing these markets, because I know we've been talking about it for a while."
"As I've said before, domestic expansion, as opposed to doing a new league in Europe, is selling equity in this current league. If you own 1/30 of this league, now you own 1/32 if you add two teams. So it's a much more difficult economic analysis. In many ways, it requires predicting the future. I think now we're in the process of working with our teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them, and then sometime in 2026 we'll make a determination."
Adam Silver announced a decision on domestic NBA expansion will be made sometime in 2026. The league is actively evaluating markets including Las Vegas and Seattle and has examined other potential locations. Domestic expansion would involve selling equity in the existing league and would dilute current ownership shares if teams are added. The economics are complex and require forecasting future conditions. The league is working with current teams to gauge interest and to develop pro formas that assess local economics for potential franchises. Expansion consideration dates back several years and remains a deliberate, evidence-driven process.
Read at ESPN.com
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