The NBA is one step closer to having 32 teams.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that the league's Board of Governors has officially approved a vote to "explore bids and applicants" for expansion teams exclusively in Seattle and Las Vegas. To date, it’s the most concrete sign that NBA basketball could be coming to Las Vegas and returning to Seattle.
Plenty more steps will need to be taken — including a bidding process for both new franchises.
Here’s everything to know about the NBA eyeing expansion into Seattle and Las Vegas.
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What's next for NBA expansion?
Now that the NBA has officially gotten approval to move forward in the expansion process, the next step will be fielding bids for ownership of the two new teams. Per ESPN, the expectation is that each team will be valued between $7-10 billion, a higher price compared to some current NBA teams' valuations because executives estimate that both Las Vegas and Seattle "would be among the NBA's top eight revenue generators."
Soon, investors and investment groups will be able to make official bids to become the owners of a Seattle or Las Vegas NBA team.
From there, once there is a winning bid, per ESPN, there would be a potential final vote "later in the year" to finalize the transactions to 32 teams. In order for those transactions to be approved, 23 of 30 governors must vote in favor.
The process will likely move slowly — The Athletic reported that the vetting process for buyers of expansion teams is "usually a months-long process involving detailed, forensic examinations of the financial capabilities of potential ownership groups," meaning the NBA will be tedious about which new owners it approves.
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NBA expansion vote
Last week, ESPN reported that the NBA would soon hold a vote at a board of governors meeting to explore the additions of Las Vegas and Seattle franchises to the league, with "momentum" to approve those expansion teams.
That became official on Wednesday, with the vote marking concrete plans for the NBA to move forward in building out its expansion franchises. The Board of Governors approved for the league to begin fielding bids and applicants for ownership of the two expansion teams, exclusively focused in Seattle and Las Vegas.
Breaking: The NBA's Board of Governors has approved a vote for the league to explore bids and applicants for expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, sources tell ESPN. A bidding process is expected to generate offers in the $7-10 billion range for each team. pic.twitter.com/yEaLPjnTVf
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 25, 2026