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The road to 32 NBA teams is officially underway.
The association’s Board of Governors on Wednesday approved a vote to investigate bids and applicants for expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle, ESPN reported.
ESPN noted that the association is looking at the 2028-29 season for teams to begin play, and it’s a matter of “when, not if.”
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A general overview of the opening tip-off between San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet and New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns during the Emirates NBA Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
A team in Seattle would mark a return to a city that had an NBA champion in the SuperSonics in 1979. They moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder in 2008, less than a year after drafting Kevin Durant with the second overall pick.
Seattle and Las Vegas are now set to be Big Four cities for the first time — after decades with the Mariners and Seahawks, the NHL expanded to Seattle in 2021 to bring in the Kraken, 13 years after the Sonics left.
As for Las Vegas, it will soon have a professional team in each of the four major sports leagues after decades of not having any professional sports due to concerns about legalized gambling. The NHL expanded in the city in 2017, bringing in the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Oakland Raiders moved to Southern Nevada three years later. The Athletics of Major League Baseball will be there in 2028 — they currently play in a minor-league stadium in Sacramento as their Vegas stadium is under construction and their lease in Oakland ran out.
Bids are expected to be at least $7 billion and could rise to even $10 billion.
Seattle SuperSonics and Kevin Durant fans in the stands with signs during the game against the Phoenix Suns at Key Arena. (John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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LeBron James made news last week when he took himself out of the bidding process in Las Vegas after once setting a goal of owning a team there.
“It’s a sports town. Hopefully I can bring my franchise here one day,” James said during the 2023 NBA Cup, where the semifinals and finals will be played in Las Vegas.
But when asked last week if he’s still interested in owning a team, James said bluntly“No, I’m not. Not at all.”
James has been a business partner with Fenway Sports Group, as owner Boston Red Sox and Liverpool in the Premier League since 2011.
But before James’ comments, Athletics reported that because bids could reach as high as $8 billion for the Vegas team, the group is not interested in participating in the bidding.
The WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces also relocated from San Antonio in 2018 and have won three titles since then.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks during the Emirates NBA Cup Finals press conference at T-Mobile Arena on December 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
The NBA has not expanded since 2004, when the association returned to Charlotte for the Bobcats after original Hornets moved to New Orleans. That team is now the Pelicans, while the Bobcats regained the original Hornets moniker in 2014.
Las Vegas hosted the 2007 NBA All-Star Game.
