LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The NBA may move a step closer to adding teams in Seattle and Las Vegas next week when expansion — which has been a topic for some time — will again be discussed by the league’s board of governors, two people with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press on Monday.
A vote is planned on whether to go forward with those two cities as the sole expansion targets at this point, the people said.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because those details were not released publicly.
It would take a three-fourths majority of governors to go forward, meaning 23 of the 30 teams would have to approve the motion. Owners are also expected to get an update next week on where the NBA and FIBA stand on plans for a new league in Europe, one of the people said.
ESPN first reported that the vote was planned.
Expansion being on the agenda is not a surprise: the board gathers for only a few meetings each year, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has said on multiple occasions that a decision will be made by the end of 2026 on whether the 30-team league will add one or two new franchises in the coming years.
“Not a secret, we’re looking at this market in Las Vegas. We are looking at Seattle,” Silver said in December, while in Las Vegas for the NBA Cup final. “We’ve looked at other markets as well. I’d say I want to be sensitive there about this notion that we’re somehow teasing these markets, because I know we’ve been talking about it for a while.”
There have been countless factors to consider, including what the expansion fee for a new franchise will be — it will be in the billions, with some in the league thinking a number exceeding $6 billion is not out of the question — and what adding two more teams will mean for the on-court product.
Silver said last July that the league’s owners wanted an “in-depth analysis” of what expansion would look like, including what it would mean for the dilution of talent and the potential effects — good and bad — of selling equity in the league.
If both Las Vegas and Seattle were added, it’s also long been believed that an existing team would need to be moved from the current Western Conference list into the Eastern Conference to create two 16-team sides of the league. Geographically, Minnesota, Memphis and New Orleans would be the most logical candidates to go from West to East.
Seattle had a team until the SuperSonics were moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Las Vegas has wanted a team for some time; Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson is among the names most often mentioned as part of potential ownership if a team gets awarded there.
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Buffalo Sabres (41-20-6, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (31-22-14, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Tuesday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Buffalo Sabres after Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals in the Golden Knights’ 4-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Vegas is 31-22-14 overall and 16-10-7 at home. The Golden Knights are 30-6-8 in games they score three or more goals.
Buffalo is 19-11-3 on the road and 41-20-6 overall. The Sabres are third in the league with 231 total goals (averaging 3.4 per game).
Tuesday’s game is the second time these teams meet this season. The Sabres won 3-2 in the previous matchup.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jack Eichel has scored 24 goals with 50 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has one goal and eight assists over the last 10 games.
Tage Thompson has 34 goals and 36 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has scored six goals and added three assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Knights: 4-6-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 5.1 assists, 4.3 penalties and 10.6 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
Sabres: 9-1-0, averaging 3.9 goals, 6.5 assists, 4.9 penalties and 13.3 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: None listed.
Sabres: None listed.
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The UNLV Runnin' Rebels have accepted a bid to the National Invitation Tournament.
The athletic department announced UNLV will travel to play a first-round game at UC Irvine on Tuesday, March 18.
Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU, and the winner will advance to the second round to face the winner of Tulsa vs. Stephen F. Austin.
"Any time you get the chance to keep competing with your group, it's something you appreciate," head coach Josh Pastner said. "For us, especially in our first year building this program, it’s a great chance to continue our positive trajectory toward our larger goals."
In Pastner's first year leading UNLV, the Runnin' Rebels finished 17-16 overall and 11-9 in regular-season conference play.
The NIT is an annual college basketball tournament played at various sites around the country. It is considered a consolation event for schools that do not receive a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
UNLV last appeared in the NIT in 2024, when the team reached the quarterfinals.