These are the details of the NBA expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas

The NBA is moving towards an expansion to 32 teams with Seattle and Las Vegas as the new franchises starting from the 2028-29 season. According to the latest reports, both cities would be the chosen ones to enter the league, with an expansion draft planned for the summer of 2028 and an economic operation that could exceed $17 billion.

The arrival of two new teams would also require a reorganization of the conferences. The Minnesota Timberwolves appear to be the franchise most likely to move to the East, both for geographical reasons and the interest in balancing the talent between the two conferences. Anthony Edwards would be one of the main arguments for distributing the competitive power of the NBA more evenly.

Seattle and Las Vegas, the two new franchises

The NBA is preparing for its return to Seattle and its debut in Las Vegas. The expansion would increase the number of teams from the current 30 to 32, a figure that would facilitate maintaining two conferences of 16 franchises each.

Economic estimates point to an operation of extraordinary dimensions:

• Las Vegas: an offer that could exceed $10 billion.

• Seattle: a valuation close to $7 billion.

• Total revenue for the NBA: more than $17 billion.

• Approximate revenue per current franchise: over $565 million.

These amounts would primarily come from the expansion fees that the new owners would need to pay. The current 30 teams would receive a significant portion of that money without having to immediately share the regular competition revenue with more franchises.

For that reason, the expansion is presented as a very attractive operation from a financial perspective. The NBA would incorporate two relevant markets and, at the same time, generate an extraordinary economic injection for its current owners.

The expansion draft would be held in 2028

The creation of Seattle and Las Vegas would not be limited to announcing their names. Both franchises would need to build their rosters, and to do this, an expansion draft would take place during the summer of 2028.

The idea would be for the current 30 teams to protect a limited number of players, leaving the rest available for the new organizations. In the previously outlined scenario, each franchise could protect eight players. All others would be exposed to being selected by Seattle or Las Vegas, always under the final rules set by the NBA.

This system would allow the new teams to access players with experience, important contracts, and development potential. It would also force current franchises to make difficult decisions: protect their stars, secure their most promising young players, or prevent certain contracts from becoming available.

The expansion draft could thus become one of the major events of the summer of 2028.

The Minnesota Timberwolves could move to the East

The arrival of Seattle and Las Vegas to the West would create a distribution problem. With 16 teams in the Western Conference and 16 in the Eastern Conference, one franchise would need to switch conferences.

All indications point to the Minnesota Timberwolves as the most logical candidate. The main reason is geographical: Minnesota is farther from the West Coast than many of its current rivals, and its move would allow for better organization of travel.

There is also a sports argument. The presence of Anthony Edwards in the East would help distribute talent between the two conferences. The move could alter rivalries, schedules, and the fight for playoff spots, although there is still no official confirmation about which team will be relocated.

A change that would affect the entire league

The expansion would change much more than the number of franchises. Seattle would regain an NBA spot after the SuperSonics' disappearance in 2008, while Las Vegas would enter the competition for the first time with a market ready to host major sporting events.

Moreover, the arrival of two teams would open new job, commercial, and television opportunities. For players, it would mean the emergence of two additional rosters and, therefore, more available positions in the league.

The project still needs to complete several formal steps and define its final conditions. However, the scenario increasingly points to an NBA of 32 teams starting the 2028-29 season, with Seattle and Las Vegas as protagonists, Minnesota possibly in the East, and an expansion draft set to change the competitive landscape of the league.

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