NBA takes the first step toward expansion... with Mexico in its sights

The NBA has plans to not stagnate and to heal the wounds left by the criticism received in recent years. Among those ideas, there is one that has been on the minds of the top leaders of the world's best basketball league for years and is starting to gain momentum: franchise expansion.

The NBA Board of Governors addressed this issue at a meeting held Tuesday in Las Vegas, where, for the first time officially, they discussed the possibility that the number of teams will expand in the coming years.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was in charge of announcing the owners' intentions, stating that the proposal is already on the table and will be analyzed as time progresses.

"I think there is a significant step now in that we are now engaging in this in-depth analysis, something we weren't prepared to do before. But beyond that, it's really Day 1 of that in-depth analysis. And so, in terms of price, potential timing, it's too early to say. It is truly a complicated issue," Silver said at a post-meeting press conference.

However, the NBA commissioner declined to elaborate on whether the ownership board's opinion is unanimous on new teams entering the league.

"There was no sense in the room that people were taking sides. There was a consensus that quickly formed that the league office should do the work. ... The appetite in the [BOG] room I would define more as curiosity and more ‘Let’s do the work,'" Silver added. "We're going to be as thorough as possible and look at all the potential issues."

Las Vegas, Seattle, Pittsburgh... Where will the NBA expand?

The last time the league expanded was in 2004. The Charlotte Bobcats (today called the Charlotte Hornets) established the current composition of the NBA, with 30 franchises spread evenly across two conferences (East and West).

There has been speculation for years about the possibility of giving a new franchise access to the league. Consequently, there is a list of cities that aspire to be the chosen one and have their own representation in the NBA.

The main candidate is the aforementioned Las Vegas. “Sin City” is emerging as the favorite to have its name on the list of NBA franchises in the near future. The league has held different events in Las Vegas in recent years. Examples are this latest Board of Governors meeting or the hosting of the NBA Cup semifinals and final.

While in the WNBA, Las Vegas does have representation (Las Vegas Aces), in the NBA it has never in history.

Another is Seattle. Unlike Las Vegas, the most populous city in the state of Washington does know what it is to enjoy the spectacle offered by the NBA: the Seattle SuperSonics were in the league, even winning a championship, for just over four decades, until 2008, when they moved to Oklahoma City to become the Oklahoma City Thunder, reigning NBA champions. Since then, they have longed for their return to the league and return to have great players as they once had: Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, Jack Sikma and Ray Allen wore the Sonics jersey. Kevin Durant also donned the green and gold during his first season as a professional.

Silver himself believes Seattle is "an incredible market," an answer he gave when asked about the city's possible return to the NBA.

Also on the slate is Pittsburgh, although it would have inferior options to Las Vegas or Seattle. The city had a franchise in the early NBA: the Pittsburgh Ironmen, who played in the 1946-1947 season.

Silver's wish: A franchise in Mexico

But there is also the possibility that the NBA will expand with franchises from foreign cities. At the moment there is only one team whose base is outside U.S. territory: the Toronto Raptors (Canada), who managed to win the title in the 2018-2019 season. Previously, the Vancouver Grizzlies were part of the league between 1995 and 2001, until they moved to Tennessee to become the Memphis Grizzlies.

Among the non-U.S. locations in the pools are two Canadian cities and one Mexican city. Vancouver could return to the NBA decades after its farewell, while Montreal is the other city listed as a possibility. To the south, the name of Mexico City is gaining strength, especially knowing that it already has a team in the NBA G League: the Mexico City Captains.

About the Mexican capital, Silver did not hide his desire for the NBA to expand to another country. "We are very happy with the Capitanes and how they work here. It has been a success for the owners and the players. They play here and we are happy. As for an NBA franchise, it's something I would like, but we're not there. We are studying. We're already in Canada and Mexico City would certainly be high on the list, but it's not in our plans yet," the NBA commissioner said during a conference held in November last year, in statements collected by ESPN.

"I would love to have a team here and it would be Mexico's team, not just the city's. The Capitanes were the first step and the first experience for us to operate here. We have to see a lot of things," he added.