NBA Explores Expansion: New Teams on the Horizon?
Las Vegas – The NBA could be one step closer to its expansion, a topic that has generated interest and expectations in the basketball world. Commissioner Adam Silver revealed on Tuesday that team owners have requested a formal study on expansion. This is the first official action in a process that could lead to the incorporation of new franchises.The decision to analyze the expansion is not a surprise, as the topic has been discussed for years. Cities like Las Vegas and Seattle, considered possible candidates, will surely continue to push to be considered. The next meeting of the board of governors is expected to be held in September. Expansion is a complex issue, as it implies that the current owners decide to sell shares in a league that is currently enjoying great financial success. “For every team you add, you dilute the economy of the current league,” Silver explained. The NBA is about to start a new series of media rights deals worth $76 billion. In addition, the value of the franchises has increased significantly, with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, teams with a large number of titles, in the process of being sold with a combined valuation of at least $16.1 billion. The Celtics are sold to private equity magnate Bill Chisholm with a valuation of at least $6.1 billion, a record until the Buss family agreed to sell the Lakers to businessman Mark Walter, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a valuation of $10 billion. The league has added seven franchises since 1988, but none since 2004. There have been cases of rebranding and relocation, such as the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008, but the league has remained with 30 teams for the last two decades.“There’s still a lot of analysis to be done and nothing is predetermined,” Silver affirmed.
Adam Silver
