NBA
Adam Silver urges NBA owners to begin ‘formal’ expansion talks
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All posts by Antonio KozlowUpdated33 mins ago on June 06, 2025
The last time the NBA expanded was back in 2004, when Charlotte returned to the league. Two decades later, we seem closer than ever to another expansion, especially after Adam Silver addressed the press on Thursday ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers.
The Commissioner revealed that the league will discuss these possibilities during next month’s board of governors meeting in Las Vegas. His expectation is that the franchise owners will want to formally explore expansions and “take the temperature of the room” before going forward.
“There’s been no lack of interest,” the executive said. “I essentially have said to people from several different cities, ‘We’re just not engaging in that process right now.’ I want to be fair to everyone. So I don’t want to have meetings with some and not others.”
Commissioner Adam Silver speaks on #NBA Expansion in OKC. pic.twitter.com/nhv9XB0Osn
— Chandler Holt (@CHoltSports) June 5, 2025
Silver then added: “So if we were to say yes, we’re now going to move into a more formal exploratory phase. We would take those meetings, and in addition likely we would engage with outside advisers who would look at markets, look at economic opportunities and media opportunities, etc.”
The NBA commissioner has expressed several times in recent months that the league is close to turning their focus towards expansions, but that it has only been discussed informally to this point. Adam was clear in stating that this doesn’t necessarily mean that expansion is a certainty.
“I’d say the current sense is we should be exploring it,” Silver shared, as Seattle and Las Vegas seem to be the most talked about destinations in the United States. “I don’t think it’s automatic, because it depends on your perspective on the future of the league.”
The executive explains why they must be cautious. “As I’ve said before, expansion in a way is selling equity in the league. If you believe in the league, you don’t necessarily want to add partners. On the other hand, we recognize there are underserved markets in the United States and elsewhere,” he expressed last night.
