NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been dropping hints of expansion for a while now. The league, which has remained unchanged over the last two decades is looking for a fresh consideration. The news surfaced in December 2020 when the arenas were empty and the league’s debts continued to rise. More than three years since the information, an entire industry has built around the anticipations. However, as the NBA plans to expand, the teams in the conferences might shift.

Silver’s plan might move Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves from the Western to the Eastern Conference in the coming years. This is because of the addition of two new teams to the West. The total number of teams would be 17. Meanwhile, the East will have 15. To balance the Conferences, they would need to shift. And it seems the Wolves might be up for consideration. But, which teams will join the league? And, why will Minnesota face the shift?

Why would the Minnesota Timberwolves shift from one Conference to the other according to Adam Silver’s plan?

NBA insiders Tim Bontemps and others shared an insight into this hot topic of the day. According to them, the two new teams would likely be Seattle and Las Vegas. Both teams will become a part of the Western Conference. As a result, the NBA is likely to move the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Eastern Conference to play against teams like the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, Adam Silver has two more teams on his radar for the shift. They are the Pelicans and the Grizzlies. But, both teams are, “Geographically, the easternmost teams in the Western Conference, but also are short flights from several Western Conference opponents (each other, all three Texas teams, and the Thunder).” Meanwhile, Minnesota lies further west and is much more geographically isolated. The NBA insiders reported that the team’s nearest Western Conference opponent by air miles is the Denver Nuggets. However, they noted a problem here. “Minnesota has five east cities (Milwaukee, Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Cleveland) that are shorter trips than that, plus a sixth (Toronto) that is the exact same distance.”

All the logical reasonings might guide Adam Silver into moving the Wolves instead of the Pelicans or the Grizzlies. Moreover, franchise valuations have surged dramatically, with teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves selling for $1.5 billion in 2021. Subsequently, sales like the Phoenix Suns went for $4 billion in 2023. The Boston Celtics are currently on the market and might fetch a record-breaking price, potentially resetting the market further. This spike in valuations could lead to a combined $10 billion in revenue from adding two new expansion teams, benefiting current teams with over $300 million each. This opportunity is more enticing than what Adam Silver might have anticipated in 2020.

Therefore, expansion seems like the call of the moment for the heads of the league. The best choices they have right now are Seattle and Las Vegas. So, will the Seattle SuperSonics-esque team make a comeback to the NBA soon? The probable answer is yes. But why is the Sin City on the radar?

The NBA is considering Seattle and Las Vegas over Mexico City

Mexico could’ve been a fair addition to the league under the NBA expansion schemes. However, the logistics to operate there full-time would be a hurdle for Adam Silver & Co. Meanwhile, cities like Montreal, British Columbia, Kansas City, and others have also been under consideration for a while now. But, as per reports and rumors, Seattle and Las Vegas are leading the priority list. Why is it so? Well, Seattle has been the biggest market without an NBA team since the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Since then, the city has become “more attractive from a pro sports standpoint in the interim thanks to a tech boom led by the league’s newest broadcast partner, Amazon.” 

Moreover, the NBA’s return to Seattle has been stalled due to the inadequacy of KeyArena leading to the Sonics’ move. However, with a renovated Climate Pledge Arena that saw the light in 2021, the fans who have grown up watching Gary Payton can have their hopes slightly high. Meanwhile, Las Vegas has become the NBA’s unofficial 31st city over the past generation. The Comic-Con of Basketball, the Las Vegas Summer League now attracts hundreds of thousands of fans each July. Thus making the city a basketball hub besides being the epitome of glitz and glam. For a while now, Sin City has been on Adam Silver’s list, so with an opportunity showing up, he surely wouldn’t miss it.

Therefore, with speculations building on when and how the NBA expansion will take place, Anthony Edwards and Co. must prepare themselves for the big jump to the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, LeBron James and Amazon could become the potential owners of the teams from Las Vegas and Seattle respectively. The excitement surrounding the news is palpable in the basketball community, it’s only a matter of time now when the big announcements will be made. And we’ll have our eyes on it.