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NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that Las Vegas is ‘definitely on our list’ of cities for a potential expansion team.
On Wednesday, Silver appeared on the Pat McAfee show and reiterated Sin City’s likelihood of housing an NBA team as they plan to expand past the 30 existing franchises.
While the timetable for the NBA to add new teams is unclear, Silver said that they first want to cement a new media deal before looking into expansions. The league has one more year on its $24 billion, nine-year media rights deal after this season.
‘We want to figure out what our media relationships are going to look like, but then we will turn to expansion,’ Silver said. ‘Vegas is definitely on our list.’
Silver also mentioned how Las Vegas has been an expansion target for years. Additionally, Los Angeles Lakers star and future Hall of Famer LeBron James has repeatedly expressed his interest in owning the team that many believe will inevitably land in Las Vegas.
Adam Silver said Las Vegas is ‘definitely’ on the NBA’s list for a possible expansion franchise
“Our summer league has become almost like a franchise in Vegas..It’s two weeks of basketball at a time of year in Vegas when there’s not a lot else going on”Adam Silver #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/zmwcVxQYQZ
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 14, 2024 
Lakers star LeBron James has repeatedly expressed wanting to own an NBA team in Las Vegas
Las Vegas hosted the semifinals and final of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament in 2023
In the same interview, Silver highlighted the NBA’s already existing relationship with the city. Since 2004, Las Vegas has been home to the NBA Summer League and also hosted the All-Star Weekend in 2007.
This season, Las Vegas housed the semifinals and final for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, which was won by James and the Lakers. Silver also acknowledged the back-to-back WNBA Champions, Las Vegas Aces, being in town.
‘We have a WNBA team [in Las Vegas] we shouldn’t forget about,’ Silver said. ‘When sports leagues weren’t playing in Vegas and some leagues weren’t even taking advertising from Vegas, we brought our summer league there and then an All-Star Game there. So we’ve never been anti-Vegas as a league.
‘Furthermore, our summer league now, by virtue of taking up the first two weeks of July, has become almost like a franchise. It’s not a 31st team but it’s two weeks of basketball at a time here in Vegas when there’s not a lot else going on.’
‘What’s remarkable about Las Vegas [is] it’s not that large [of] a market as far as the US goes,’ Silver continued. ‘But man do they punch above their weight.’
Other possible destinations that are frequently mentioned are Seattle and Mexico City. Nashville, Vancouver and Montreal have also been said to be in consideration.
