Howard Beck of The Ringer suggests that if another city offers $10 billion or more, the NBA could skip Seattle or Las Vegas in expansion plans.
The NBA is exploring expansion in two cities: Seattle and Las Vegas. The league is reportedly seeking a franchise fee of $8 to $10 billion for each new team. That could mean a payout of over $500 million to every current NBA owner.
However, as Howard Beck of The Ringer notes (though this is speculative), if another city were to make an even more lucrative offer – say $10 billion or more – the league could potentially bypass Seattle or Las Vegas.
After all, these decisions are ultimately driven by money.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also mentioned a possible timeline: the league aims to decide by the end of this year whether to expand.
If approved, the goal is to have the new teams ready to play in the 2028-29 season.
Sources told The Ringer that two or three current owners are hesitant, mainly because adding two teams would split league revenues 32 ways instead of 30.
"Not everyone is thrilled," one source said. "Not everyone is on board."
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