The NBA’s board of governors will reportedly vote next week on whether to add two expansion teams located in Las Vegas and Seattle. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, there is “momentum” that the governors will approve taking bids for the two franchises, with play beginning in the 2028-29 season.
This is not the only vote that needs to take place to finalize the addition of the two teams. The NBA requires that 23 out of 30 governors approve the initial vote, which will allow the league to begin accepting bids in both targeted markets. Assuming all goes well, another vote will be held later this year to complete the transition from a 30-team league to 32.
These would be the first expansion teams to join the Association since the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004.
Just in: The NBA will hold a vote at the Board of Governors meetings March 24-25 to explore adding expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, with the two franchises targeted for the 2028-29 season, sources tell ESPN. There is momentum for stakeholders to approve… pic.twitter.com/H6AYVdhh7S
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 16, 2026
The Target Markets
It’s no surprise to see the NBA honing in on Las Vegas and Seattle. Both have been rumored as potential expansion cities for years, and now that other sports leagues have migrated to each market, the NBA can take advantage of a growing population of sports fans.
Las Vegas
The Vegas Golden Knights were the first major professional sports team to land in the City of Lights, beginning play in the 2017-18 NHL season. They’ve already won two conference titles and a Stanley Cup, and in 2024-25, they ranked 16th out of 32 teams in average attendance at roughly 18,000 per home game.
Less than a year later, the WNBA’s San Antonio Stars relocated to Sin City and became the Las Vegas Aces. They’ve since become one of the league’s most successful teams, winning championships in 2022, 2023 and 2025, and consistently rank above league average in attendance.
The NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders were the next to fall in line, beginning play at Allegiant Stadium in 2020. The franchise hasn’t found much success on the field, but the venue was host to Super Bowl 58 in 2024 and is in negotiations to host once more in 2029.
Finally, the Athletics are in the midst of relocation to Las Vegas, with the move scheduled to be completed in time for the 2028 season.
Seattle
Seattle is no stranger to the NBA. The Emerald City was home to the SuperSonics from 1967 through 2008 before the franchise was relocated to Oklahoma City, where it became the Thunder. Seattle fans have held strong in their desire to see the Sonics’ return, with countless petitions surfacing over the years.
Seattle has seen rapid growth in professional sports over the last decade: the NHL, Major League Cricket and the Professional Women’s Hockey League have all added teams since 2018. Since the Sonics departed, the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks have won two Super Bowls (2013, 2025) and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm have won three titles (2010, 2018, 2020).
Professional Basketball’s Recent Growth
Expansion is the name of the game for professional basketball in the United States. While the NBA appears to be on the cusp of adding two more teams, the league’s other entities, including the WNBA and NBA G League, have experienced rapid growth.
The WNBA saw the debut of the Golden State Valkyries in 2025 and will add two teams in 2026: the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. Three more teams are expected to join by 2030, with Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029) and Philadelphia (2030) bringing the league up to 18 teams.
The NBA G League has added 12 teams to the mix dating back to the 2016 season. The 2024-25 NBA season marked the first time that all 30 teams owned or operated a G League affiliate.
