NBA Turning Focus to Expansion Once Media Rights Deal Is Finalized

League commissioner Adam Silver discussed the potential for expansion in a Tuesday press conference.

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks before game one of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is considering the possibility of expansion, and will look into the idea more seriously once the league's new media rights deal is finalized, commissioner Adam Silver said in a Tuesday press conference in Las Vegas.

"We're not quite done with our media deals yet, but once we are, we will turn to consideration around expansion," Silver said. "I will say it's a bit more complicated than is suggested sometimes. Because just think of the immediate deals for example, once they are completed when you bring in new partners you're diluting [the current teams]. Sometimes it seems as if we're printing money when we expand, but actually it's no different than selling equity in your business. So I think there needs to be a fair amount of modeling with the league office, working with existing owners and really thinking through the long-term prospects. Again, not just economically, but also [there's] potential for dilution of talent."

While adding teams into the mix after the media rights deal would certainly dilute the revenue share that existing franchises receive, it's telling that it will still be considered. There's obviously enough of a value proposition there to evaluate the potential of adding more teams to the NBA.

Although it is unclear which cities are candidates for expansion in this round of talks, Mike Vorkunov and Alex Andrejev of The Athletic noted that Seattle and Las Vegas were two candidates, while Mexico City, Montreal and Vancouver are also possibilities.