NBA expansion: Seattle, Las Vegas, draft format, news, updates - ESPN

In December 2020, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league was taking a fresh look at the idea of expanding after nearly two decades. For the past five years since he floated the concept, an entire industry around the idea has developed as great anticipation has built.

And after several fits and starts, the league is now barreling toward the addition of two teams, as ESPN's Shams Charania reported Monday that next week's board of governors meeting will include a vote to explore adding Seattle and Las Vegas franchises beginning with the 2028-29 season.

Here's our latest intel from conversations with sources in and around the NBA on how this complicated, league-altering process could play out.

Jump to a question:
Why expand now? | Why Seattle and Vegas?
Which franchise would change conferences?
Expansion draft format? | Salary cap impact?

Expansion is an economic question for the league's existing 30 owners. At what point does the math make sense to where it becomes worth it to go from owning 1/30 of the league to 1/32?

NBA teams currently own 3.33% of the league. If the league jumps to 32 teams, that percentage drops to 3.13%. While that might seem like an insignificant change, those fractions of a percentage will really add up over time — particularly when factoring in, for example, the league's media rights deal, which is currently an 11-year, $76 billion package split between Disney, Amazon and Comcast.

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So why would the owners do it? Because, at some point, the math tips in their favor if the expansion