Seattle and Las Vegas have permission to pursue NBA franchises; neither has been awarded one. NBA owners are expected to discuss expansion at the September 14–15 Board of Governors meeting. Advancing the bidding process would bring teams closer without necessarily establishing when they will play. Las Vegas Review-Journal
Existing owners still must decide what compensation makes it worthwhile to share the NBA’s future income with additional franchises.
What the NBA has already approved
On March 25, the Board of Governors authorized formal exploration of expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas. The league hired investment bank PJT Partners to evaluate ownership groups, markets, arenas and the economic consequences. That announcement authorized an assessment; it did not name successful buyers or award franchises. NBA’s official announcement
An attractive market still needs an ownership group that can finance the purchase and operate the team, along with a workable arena arrangement. The league’s stated review covers all of those requirements.
Commissioner Adam Silver said in June that the possible outcomes remained zero, one or two new teams, with a decision anticipated by the end of 2026. That timing referred to deciding whether to expand, rather than a promise to begin games that year. Sports Business Journal
Why billions in entry fees do not settle the decision
ESPN reports projected expansion proceeds of $500 million–$600 million per existing team, or $15 billion–$18 billion combined. Brian Windhorst’s reporting
An expansion fee compensates incumbent owners for admitting another member to the business. Owners receive those proceeds once. As Sports Business Journal explained in June, new teams would take a portion of shared media-rights income that otherwise goes to the existing franchises. The entry payment must be weighed against that continuing reduction. Sports Business Journal
A simple calculation illustrates the issue. Assume an unchanged revenue pool distributed equally among all teams, with two newcomers immediately receiving full shares. Each incumbent’s share falls from 1/30 to 1/32, a 6.25% reduction in that particular distribution. To preserve the same dollars per team, the pool would need to grow by 32/30 − 1, or approximately 6.67%.
That is illustrative arithmetic, not a forecast of NBA payments. It excludes any negotiated phase-in, changes to broadcast arrangements, operating costs and additional income generated by the new markets. It also does not imply that each franchise’s total revenue would fall 6.25%; locally generated income is outside this hypothetical shared pool.
When could the teams start playing?
The Associated Press identified 2028–29 as the earliest plausible starting season in its March reporting. That remains a planning possibility rather than a confirmed opening date. Adding both cities would also require a conference decision: two new Western teams would produce a 17–15 split unless an existing team moved East. Associated Press
For fans reading the next announcement, the crucial detail is what has been approved. A bidding deadline gives prospective owners a timetable. Selecting a buyer identifies who would operate a franchise. Awarding the franchise and specifying its first season gives the city a team and a date to prepare for.