Is Las Vegas On The Verge Of Scoring An NBA Team?

While attending NBA2K25 Summer League earlier this week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke briefly about the possibility of expansion, and the city of Las Vegas entered the chat.

Since the conversation began about the possibility of Vegas gaining an NBA team, L.A. Lakers star LeBron James and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal have both spoken up about wanting a piece of the action.

Earlier this week, Silver briefly talked about the possibility of league expansion during a press conference at Summer League in Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV in Vegas.

Silver said the league will begin to explore the option of expansion later this year, after finalizing a reported $76 billion media rights deal and new collective bargaining agreement.

"We're not quite done with our media deals yet, but once we are we will turn to consideration around expansion," Silver told the media.

"Sometimes it seems as if we're printing money when we expand, but it's actually no different than selling equity in any business. So I think there needs to be a fair amount of modeling with the league office working with existing owners really thinking through the long-term prospects, again, not just economically but also for the potential for the delusion of talent."

He also explained that they will "engage this fall in earnest in the process of making those determinations of should we expand," as well as to consider how many teams and what markets they should be exploring.

While Silver said the league will focus on a possible expansion, he also said they won't be ready to add teams immediately.

"But by turning to expansion it doesn't mean we're going to announce that now we're ready to add teams. It means that there will be a committee of NBA governors that will focus on it," he explained. "There are clearly markets out there that are very interested and will run through a process."

Silver has mentioned that Vegas and Seattle are potential expansion markets, with Vegas offering many aspects in its favor.

Two groups are looking to build an NBA-ready arena, the Oak View Group on Las Vegas Boulevard south of the Strip and LVXP on the north end of the Strip. Both projects already have preliminary plans paired with a resort.

“The availability of first-class arenas plays a big role in making those determinations with expansion,” Silver said. “We have not engaged in any direct conversations with either property owners here or those who are considering buying arenas — with the exception of to the extent that groups that are looking at arenas have asked the league office for specs on what makes an arena NBA-ready.”

The Lakers star has made it no secret that he has an interest in a Vegas team, should that become a reality.

Since the NBA has a rule that a team owner cannot be an active player on the team, that could determine a timeline for James to retire as a player.

"The biggest thing, other than health, that we're gonna see that is going to determine when the end of LeBron's career is when the owners of the league set forth a timeline about when they're gonna establish that expansion team in Las Vegas," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said recently on First Take. "I suspect once the TV rights deal gets wrapped up, they're gonna bring expansion to the table."

He also said that James "wants to join up with partners to become the face of the franchise in Las Vegas."

James isn't the only one voicing his interest in being a part of a Vegas franchise. NBA legend O'Neal has also talked about his desire to be a part of a Vegas team.

When talk of a possible expansion to Vegas began late last year, O'Neal said he wants to "be a part of that."

"I would like to have my own group. I know Vegas hasn't been awarded an NBA team yet, but if they ever get to a point where they are awarded a team, I would like to be a part of that," O'Neal told Arash Markazi of The Messager in October. "I don't want to partner up with nobody. I want it all for myself."

And with O'Neal being a resident of Vegas, it makes sense that he would want to be a part of a team in the city he calls home.

"I love it here. Las Vegas has always been a city you knew was going to grow. You could see different casinos, different real estate projects, and different nightclubs popping up," he said. "I've always been a part of it. I used to own one of the hottest nightclubs, sold it and now I got 9 to 10 restaurants here. I'm doing very, very well and I want to continue to grow with Vegas."

Silver also expressed his excitement over continuing the NBA's relationship with Southern Nevada.  NBA Summer League is currently celebrating its 20th year in Vegas, and the NBA Cup is returning to T-Mobile Arena in the city in December.

"Now in the 20th year of the Summer League, we've estimated and been told that the economic impact is close to a quarter of a billion dollars," Silver said.

"We really appreciate how Las Vegas has developed in the 20 years we've been here, to the point where we can say it is the undisputed entertainment capital of the world. We look forward to doing even more here."