The National Basketball Association has officially approved expansion franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle, growing the league to 32 teams for the first time and marking the NBA's first expansion since the Charlotte Bobcats joined in 2004. The expansion fees, reported at $4 billion per franchise, reflect the extraordinary growth in NBA franchise valuations driven by massive media rights deals and the league's expanding global audience.
The Las Vegas franchise, backed by a consortium of entertainment and technology investors, will play in a new $2.5 billion arena on the Las Vegas Strip scheduled for completion in 2027. The Seattle team, returning the NBA to a city that lost the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008, will play in a renovated Climate Pledge Arena while a new purpose-built facility is constructed.
Reshaping the League
"Las Vegas and Seattle represent the future of the NBA," said Commissioner Adam Silver. "Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world and has proven its ability to support major professional sports. Seattle is a passionate basketball city that deserves to have its team back."
The expansion will trigger a league-wide realignment, with both new teams placed in the Western Conference to create two 16-team conferences each divided into four divisions. An expansion draft, modeled on previous sports league expansions, will allow the new franchises to select players from existing rosters under rules designed to balance competitive viability for the new teams against roster protection for established franchises.
Both cities have deep basketball cultures that are expected to drive strong fan engagement from day one. Seattle's WNBA franchise, the Storm, has maintained a passionate fan base that has kept basketball culture alive in the city, while Las Vegas has proven its appetite for professional sports through the success of the Golden Knights (NHL), Raiders (NFL), and Aces (WNBA). The new teams are expected to begin play in the 2027-28 season, with the expansion draft scheduled for June 2027.