NBA Expansion Analysis Begins Amid High Team Valuations

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has formally tasked the league office with conducting a thorough analysis of the potential economic and non-economic impacts of expanding the league. Seattle and Las Vegas remain leading candidates for new teams, but no timeline has been established and discussions are still preliminary. Recent high-profile team sales, such as the Celtics at $6.1 billion and Lakers at $10 billion, have set new valuation benchmarks influencing expected expansion fees, which owners anticipate may exceed $5 billion per team. The ongoing sale of the Portland Trail Blazers remains a key data point in these deliberations. Despite strong public and investor interest, most owners prefer to maintain the current 30-team structure to preserve revenue gains from the new $76 billion media rights deal. The NBA Board of Governors is expected to revisit expansion discussions after more analysis, likely at their next meeting in September.