The NBA’s board of governors has unanimously voted to explore bids and applications for expansion teams in Las Vegas and Seattle.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that the bidding process for the teams could generate offers up to $10 billion.
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He also clarified that officials have spoken about expansion in terms of when, not if.
“Today’s vote reflects our Board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle, two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement on Wednesday. “We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties.”
Seattle has a storied NBA history as the home of the Seattle SuperSonics until the team’s relocation to Oklahoma City in 2008. Calls for a return to Seattle had been growing ever since the move.
Las Vegas has never been the home of an NBA team, but is the home of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, who have won three championships since their relocation in 2018.
While Wednesday’s vote doesn’t make league expansion a guarantee, it sets the stage for two more rounds of voting once the transactions are set.
But given the newfound interest from front offices around the league, expansion seems to be just on the horizon.
James Parker contributed to this story.
