NBA: Owners ready to explore expansion, announces Adam Silver

The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, announced that the league will discuss expansion at the board of governors meeting next month in Las Vegas. Silver anticipates that the team owners will formally recommend the exploration of this topic.

During a press conference prior to the first game of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, Silver expressed his desire to “take the temperature of the room” regarding expansion at the July meeting. He believes there is sufficient interest among the owners to move forward in the process.

There has been no lack of interest.

Adam Silver

Silver explained that he has been in contact with representatives from several interested cities, but that the league has not initiated the formal process until now. If it is decided to move forward, formal meetings will be held and external advisors will be consulted to evaluate markets, economic and media opportunities. Expansion has been an informal topic of discussion in the NBA for several years, but this is the first time Silver expects it to become a formal point of discussion at an owners’ meeting. However, Silver cautioned that expansion is not a done deal, as it depends on the perspective on the future of the league.

The current feeling is that we should explore it. I don’t think it’s automatic, because it depends on your perspective on the future of the league.

Adam Silver

Silver mentioned that expansion involves selling a stake in the league and that, although there are underserved markets that deserve to have NBA teams, the league might not be able to satisfy everyone if it expands. The last NBA expansion was in 2004, with the return of Charlotte. Seattle and Las Vegas are considered the favorite cities to get expansion teams if the process is approved. Silver also addressed other key issues:

• This year’s Finals winner will be the seventh different consecutive league champion, representing the longest period without a repeat champion.

Silver pointed out that this fact is not necessarily due to the changes in the collective bargaining agreement that the league implemented to level the playing field. He stressed that the league’s objective is not to have a different champion every year, but to achieve parity of opportunities. He congratulated Oklahoma City and Indianapolis for being well-managed franchises that deserve to be in the Finals. Furthermore, Silver reiterated that the NBA will likely switch to a “Team USA vs. the World” format for next year’s All-Star Game in Los Angeles, similar to what the NHL did with the 4 Nations Face-Off. Although the specific format has not yet been decided, Silver explained that he doesn’t believe a direct USA vs. the World format would be suitable, as international players represent 30% of the league and American players represent 70%.

Silver also dismissed the idea of reducing the NBA’s 82-game regular season, arguing that it would not be beneficial for several reasons. He mentioned that money is a significant factor, but he doesn’t see a real benefit in reducing the number of games. Furthermore, he refuted the idea that reducing the number of games would decrease injuries, pointing out that there is no data to support that claim.