Adam Silver Made It Pretty Clear That It's Only A Matter Of Time Before Vegas Gets Its Own NBA Team
Talk about no brainer. If the Golden Knights, Raiders and Aces have taught us anything, it's that a pro sports team can survive and thrive in Las Vegas. It's why the Oakland A's are rumored to be heading that way if they aren't able to get their new stadium. So it makes sense why Adam Silver is open to the idea of bringing the NBA to Vegas. It will work. He's not kidding about Summer League either, those 10 days are awesome. I've been a handful of times including this year and the buzz around the event is undeniable. If you look at how the people of Vegas have come out and supported the new pro teams that have arrived over the years, there's no doubt in my mind that they will do the same for an NBA team.
What I like about how Silver phrased this was he talked about expansion and not simply relocation. I've blogged about it before, but if Vegas is on the list for a new NBA team, it sure as shit better be behind Seattle. I don't care if we're talking expansion or relocation. The fine people of Seattle deserve to have an NBA team again. How they lost the Sonic will forever be bullshit in my mind. If it's expansion, I imagine they'll go to a clean to 32 teams so in that case let's just have both Seattle and Vegas. If we're talking relocation, things get a little trickier. I'm not sure what current franchise I could see moving. Maybe the Wolves if their new ownership group has a change of heart? The Kings have been rumored in the past, but their fans showed out and made it clear they want the team to stay in Sacramento. The Pelicans could certainly be an option if shit truly hits the fan down there, but I wouldn't bet on it.
It's pretty cool that this idea of expansion is more about a "when" as opposed to an "if". There are sustainable markets out there that can support a pro NBA team, but I do wonder what type of realignment might come with it since both Vegas and a city like Seattle are on the West Coast. That could mean teams like the Grizzlies, Wolves, or Pelicans switching conferences. Suddenly playoff fringe teams would find themselves in a much more attractive situation. In that scenario, everyone wins. The league gets their two new teams, and two young star players (and KAT) find themselves in a conference where it's much more likely they make the postseason. That equals ratings, which equals money for the league.
Seems like a no brainer.