NBA Expansion May Throw Wrinkle into A's Relocation to Las Vegas

The Oakland A's plan to move to Las Vegas, but with NBA expansion looming, the timing may not be right for baseball

The Oakland A's are in the process of getting approved for relocation to Las Vegas, where they would have a 33,000 seat ballpark that will likely be domed and sit on nine acres of land on the Las Vegas Strip. The owner's vote is expected to occur next month and the A's will need 75% yes votes in order to clear what is seen as their final hurdle.

There has been a lot of pushback on the numbers not quite seeming achievable for the ballpark project, with the A's needing a near sellout (27,000) each and every game for 30 straight seasons in order to pay back the bonds being issued to them to construct the park in the first place. 

One additional hurdle that could present a problem for the A's plans could be the NBA's recent expansion talks, with Las Vegas being a site that is seen as a likely frontrunner for a new NBA franchise, along with Seattle getting a team back after losing the SuperSonics. Expansion for the NBA is expected to be considered once they get their new media rights deal, which should see a big increase in league revenue. 

Their current deal expires after the 2024-2025 season. 

That is where things get interesting, because it took the Golden State Warriors about two and a half years to build the privately financed Chase Center in San Francisco. The Oak View Group in Vegas is putting together plans for a $10 billion privately funded arena for a basketball team. Both Shaq and LeBron James have made pitches to be a part of an ownership group for an NBA franchise in Vegas. Things could move quickly. 

The Oak View Group is eyeing their venture to be built at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road, about four miles south of the A's ballpark.

Depending on when the NBA makes their official decision to expand, and which markets they plan to expand into, it would take a few years to get the arena built and the team added onto the NBA schedule. 

This is pure speculation, but could we be talking about seeing the Las Vegas NBA team in 2030? The A's are planning on opening up their ballpark in 2028, and some view that timeline as a little optimistic. The team would have one or two years as the new team in town before being trumped by a more expensive project that is easier to get to for locals in a more popular sport. 

Thankfully for the A's, the NBA season only lasts until the middle of April-unless the team makes it into the playoffs. Then it could last until June, which is half of the baseball season. If the A's are out of it after a couple of months like they have been these past two seasons, then fans may just not go to games that year. 

There is also the fact that all of these events cost money, and with so many different options for sports and entertainment in Vegas, residents will only have so much cash to spend while also needing to afford gas, groceries, and other necessities. At some point, one of these teams will get squeezed because the residents don't have enough money (this is true of anywhere) to attend a slew of games in each league. They'll have to be more selective. Based on the reception the A's have been getting in Las Vegas, it appears as though they could be the ones being iced out while temperatures reach 115 degrees during the summer. 

Between this timeline for NBA expansion and Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob casually saying he'd be interested in buying the A's if they were put up for sale, could there be a sliver of a hope that the owners vote down relocation? They won't do it because they feel bad for the people of Oakland, but they may do it if they feel like they want to cash in with Vegas and either the timing isn't right, or the owner (John Fisher) isn't a fit to steer that ship. 

If a Las Vegas baseball team fails, that's bad for the league. Maybe they kick the Vegas can down the road for a few years and wait to award the city an expansion team instead, while giving themselves a better shot at success. If the owner's vote fails, Fisher's only real option would be to sell the team. 

While it may not be likely, it is possible.