It’s been nearly 20 years since the last expansion franchise was christened, which is now the longest static period in NBA history. Expansion feels overdue and fast-approaching.
Commissioner Adam Silver has alluded to league growth multiple times in recent years. At this point, franchise additions are simply a matter of where and when.
While much of the focus remains on Seattle and Las Vegas, it’s unclear which city (or cities) the league might bless with professional basketball.
Biggest Cities Without an NBA Team
| Rank | City | Total Homes (2024) |
| 1 | Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota) | 2,221,240 |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma | 2,098,240 |
| 3 | Raleigh-Durham (Fayetteville) | 1,345,840 |
| 4 | St. Louis | 1,273,870 |
| 5 | Nashville | 1,199,400 |
| 6 | Pittsburgh | 1,167,890 |
| 7 | Baltimore | 1,155,000 |
| 8 | San Diego | 1,116,150 |
| 9 | Hartford & New Haven, CT | 1,060,910 |
| 10 | Kansas City | 1,033,680 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | 1,029,800 |
| 12 | Columbus, OH | 1,018,390 |
NBA Expansion History
The Charlotte Bobcats were the most recent expansion team, joining the league in 2004-05, just nine years after the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies were added in 1995.
The Bobcats replaced the Hornets, who departed the much larger Charlotte media market for the NBA’s second-smallest active market, New Orleans, in 2002.
Only Memphis, which landed the Grizzlies from Vancouver in 2001, is currently a smaller market. And each of the top 11 media markets in the United States has a team.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has reported on expansion potential several times in recent years.
“Within the league office, sources said officials have floated the price tag of $2.5 billion each for two expansion teams in the near future,” Windhorst said in late 2020. “Unlike other major revenue streams such as TV and ticket money, expansion fees are not split with players. Such a haul could mean about $160 million per team, a windfall that could wipe out the massive debt load that’s piling up, and that alone has perked interest in the expansion path.”
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