Adam Silver: NBA expansion verdict due in 2026

A decision on potential NBA expansion is expected in 2026, with Las Vegas and Seattle leading the list of cities should the league move forward, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday.

Silver made the remarks ahead of the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas, acknowledging that both markets remain under serious consideration.

“It’s not a secret we’re looking at this market in Las Vegas,” Silver said. “We are looking at Seattle. We’ve looked at other markets as well. I want to be sensitive to the idea that we’re somehow teasing these markets, because I know we’ve been talking about this for a while.

“We’re in the process of working with our existing teams, gauging the level of interest, and gaining a better understanding of what the economics would look like on the ground for those teams,” he added. “Sometime in 2026, we’ll make a determination.”

The NBA last expanded in 2004 with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats as the league’s 30th team. Charlotte previously lost the Hornets, which relocated to New Orleans. Seattle hopes to follow a similar path after losing the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008.

Las Vegas has never hosted an NBA franchise but has strong ties to the league, serving as the longtime home of the NBA Summer League and hosting the NBA Cup semifinals and finals in recent years.

“I think Seattle and Las Vegas are two incredible cities,” Silver said. “We had a team in Seattle that enjoyed great success. We have a WNBA team here in Las Vegas with the Aces, we’ve been playing the Summer League here for 20 years, and we’re hosting our Cup games here, so we’re very familiar with this market.

“I have no doubt that Las Vegas, despite all of the other major league teams and entertainment options here, could support an NBA team.”

Silver also addressed several other league-related issues.

He said the NBA is closely monitoring collective bargaining negotiations between the WNBA and its players’ union.

“We’ve acknowledged that our players deserve to be paid significantly more based on the increased success of the league,” Silver said. “It’s now about finding common ground on what constitutes a fair deal. That will require compromise on both sides, but I remain optimistic we’ll reach an agreement.”

Silver also said the Miami Heat could be eligible for salary-cap relief related to guard Terry Rozier, who is on leave after being charged with alerting gamblers that he would exit a game early, allowing them to profit from prop bets tied to his statistics. Rozier pleaded not guilty in federal court last week.

“We’re trying to work through this with the team, but there’s no obvious solution,” Silver said. “They have a player who currently can’t perform services, and at the same time, he hasn’t been convicted of anything. This is an unfortunate situation that may require a unique solution.”

Finally, Silver rejected claims that the NBA Cup is adding to player workload.

“All we can deal with is the data,” he said. “So far this season, we have the lowest number of injuries in the past three years.” -Field Level Media/Reuters