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Expansion is coming to the NBA. Most likely there will be two teams, one certainly in Seattle and the other probably in Las Vegas, and with an entry-level price tag for the new owners of around $6 billion.
The league was expected to take expansion up in the fall, once the new NBA broadcast rights deal was finalized. However, when the NBA owners got together to talk this week there was more discussion of the league’s role in international basketball — after an exciting basketball Paris Olympics basketball tournament (both men’s and women’s) — than expansion, according to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“There was not a lot of discussion in this meeting about expansion, but only largely not for lack of interest, it was that we had said to them that we’re not quite ready,” Silver said Tuesday in a press conference following the Board of Governor’s meeting. “I appreciate your pointing out that it’s kind of not quite — it might technically — is it fall yet? Maybe not yet. It’s feeling a little bit chillier in New York, so we’re getting close to fall. But it was something that we told our Board we plan to address this season, and we’re not quite ready yet. But I think there’s certainly interest in the process, and I think that we’re not there yet in terms of having made any specific decisions about markets or even frankly to expand.
“I know I’ve said this before, I think over time organizations should grow. It is appropriate. But it gets a bit complicated in terms of selling equity in the league, what that means for the existing television relationships, etc. What we’ve told interested parties is thank you for your interest, we’ll be back to you. And that’s certainly the case in Seattle, as well.”
Seattle is a major market that was home to the Supersonics for four decades before new owners moved them to Oklahoma City and turned them into the Thunder. There has been a grassroots push almost since the day that happened to put a team back in Seattle, and now that day seems on the horizon. On Oct. 11, the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers will play a preseason game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/adam-silver-says-league-owners-144038502.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-09-11 14:40:38
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