Adam Silver opens up on NBA expansion: ‘Organizations tend to grow’

As speculation around NBA expansion continues to bubble just below the surface, commissioner Adam Silver has offered his most open comments yet about the potential of taking the league from 30 to 32 teams. Cities like Las Vegas and Seattle—long considered front-runners should the league grow—have again entered the spotlight. But according to Silver, while there’s plenty of interest and discussion behind closed doors, nothing is set in stone just yet.

Silver’s remarks came during a recent media appearance in which he tackled the buzz head-on. Expansion, he explained, is far more complex than it might seem from the outside.

“Sometimes on the outside it looks like a no-brainer because it seems like you’re printing money to expand,” Silver said, offering a candid look into the economic mechanics behind league growth. “But, again, you’re really selling equity in the league.”

That last part is key. Expansion isn’t just about creating new teams and opening up new markets; it’s about altering the economic landscape of the entire league. “You have 30 teams and now you’re saying we are going to 32 that own the league. You’re diluting the economic interest of all the teams and also potentially the talent,” Silver continued.

The talent dilution point has been raised before. While the league has seen a global influx of high-level players over the past two decades, there’s always a concern that spreading stars too thin across more teams could lead to a less competitive product overall.

Seattle and Las Vegas remain on the NBA expansion radar

Adam Silver opens up on NBA expansion: ‘Organizations tend to grow’

Despite the caution, Silver didn’t shy away from acknowledging the markets most often tied to expansion talks.

“There’s no doubt there’s been interest in Las Vegas and Seattle,” he said. “I’ve been very public about it—those were fantastic markets for the league that we left at the time for understandable reasons.”

Seattle, of course, is a sentimental favorite. The city lost its beloved SuperSonics in 2008 when the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. Since then, fans in the Pacific Northwest have been clamoring for a return—something Silver has acknowledged in the past, but never fully committed to.

Las Vegas, meanwhile, has become a booming sports city in recent years, with the NHL’s Golden Knights and the NFL’s Raiders finding solid homes there. The success of those franchises makes Vegas an appealing option for NBA expansion, particularly with the city’s new arenas and growing fan base.

NBA preparing for a formal expansion process this summer

For the first time, Silver also revealed that the NBA is inching toward a more formalized expansion process.

“I think as we get into the summer, we’ll get into a formal process of how we go about doing it,” he said. Still, he was quick to temper expectations. “I don’t want to say it’s a foregone conclusion we’re going to expand, but I also think over time organizations tend to grow.”

The phrase “organizations tend to grow” might seem like a throwaway line, but coming from the NBA commissioner, it carries weight. It suggests that expansion isn’t just a possibility—it’s likely inevitable. But it also suggests the league wants to get it right. Timing, economics, logistics, and talent availability all play crucial roles.

Silver also made note of the success other major American sports leagues have had with expansion in markets like Vegas and Seattle. “I look at the success of those markets in other major leagues. It’s easy to present a scenario where you can see it working for the league, but I don’t want to jump the gun here,” he said.

What an expanded NBA could look like

If the league does move forward with expansion, the question of structure naturally follows. Would we see realignment of conferences or divisions? What impact would expansion have on the NBA Draft, free agency, and scheduling?

There’s also the financial aspect. An expansion fee would likely run into the billions, split among existing teams to compensate for the dilution Silver mentioned. That, of course, could be enticing to current owners looking for a financial windfall.

On the competitive side, an expansion draft would likely be held, giving new teams a chance to build rosters by selecting unprotected players from current squads. That can shake up the league in unexpected ways—something that could be thrilling for fans and nerve-wracking for GMs.

NBA expansion keywords and cautious optimism

The keywords here—NBA expansion, Las Vegas, Seattle, summer process—are likely to remain on the radar for months to come. While Silver’s comments don’t confirm anything, they do mark a shift from vague interest to preliminary planning.

For fans in Seattle and Las Vegas, the dream is alive. For the league, the path forward is still under construction. And for Adam Silver, the balance between financial growth, competitive integrity, and strategic planning remains as delicate as ever.

One thing is clear: the NBA isn’t closing the door on expansion. If anything, it’s slowly starting to open it—just not wide enough for anyone to step through yet.