There has been talk for the past year that the NBA could expand to new cities in order to help recoup some of the revenue that was lost during the pandemic, and it sounds like that is going to happen.
Michael Grange of Sportsnet reported this week that it is “widely believed” that the NBA is planning to expand to 32 teams. The league has not added a franchise since the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004, but expansion talks seem to have accelerated in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Grange added that it is “almost a given” that Seattle would be the home of one of the teams, as the arena issues that forced the SuperSonics to leave for Oklahoma City in 2008 have since been resolved. Las Vegas has been mentioned as a potential spot for the second team.
The NBA has not announced any formal plans to expand, but it may only be a matter of time. Commissioner Adam Silver said in the past that the league was content with its 30 teams, but he changed his tune when the NBA was facing financial issues like other sports leagues during the pandemic.
The NBA and other leagues have lost an enormous amount of money due to seasons being shortened and fans not attending games. Mark Cuban gave us an idea last year of how much money the Dallas Mavericks lost by playing in an empty arena. It’s no surprise the NBA is looking for ways to increase revenue.
