Can Las Vegas support an NBA expansion team? Our experts assess the market
Next week, the NBA’s Board of Governors is expected to vote on exploring Seattle and Las Vegas as viable markets for new franchises. The two cities have long been considered favorites for new franchises, whether via relocation or expansion. The appeal of Seattle as an expansion market is obvious — the NBA had a team there for 40 years that many believe should never have moved.
Is Las Vegas similarly a slam dunk choice (pun intended) for an expansion team? On one hand, the city is experiencing a professional sports boom. The NHL’s Golden Knights (an expansion team) and the WNBA’s Aces (who relocated from San Antonio) have established strong fanbases since arriving in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
The NFL’s Raiders arrived from Oakland in 2020, with a new stadium near the Strip, and business is good even as the team has struggled on the field. Baseball is on the way soon, with MLB’s Athletics expected to begin play in a new stadium in the 2028 season. And while the NBA does not have a franchise in the city yet, it has a significant presence there through Summer League and the NBA Cup.
On the other hand, if the NBA does expand to Las Vegas, it will be entering an increasingly crowded sports landscape. Despite its rising population, Las Vegas remains the 40th-ranked media market in the country . Tourism, a key reason professional sports leagues have flocked there, is declining .
Given those factors, how strong is Las Vegas as a sports market? We asked these experts across The Athletic’s newsroom for their feedback: Mike Vorkunov, national basketball business reporter. Jesse Granger, who has covered the Golden Knights since their inception.
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