On Thursday evening, Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals was in Oklahoma City. The Thunder hosted the Pacers, and Indiana stunned OKC for a 110-110 win.
Ahead of Game 1, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had media availability. He was asked questions about carrying topics around the league. One of which was possible league expansion in the future. When speaking with the media, Silver said the current sense is that the NBA will be “exploring” expansion this summer.
How soon will the NBA expand past 30 teams?
Adam Silver’s newest comments on expansion. “The current sense is, we should be exploring it.” Says it will be discussed further at Board of Governors meeting in July.
Also goes on to talk about the idea of European expansion. pic.twitter.com/fOsFlaknUx
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) June 5, 2025
During his media availability ahead of Game 1, Adam Silver was asked about the owners’ temperature on league expansion. Silver is meticulous in his words and shows caution in public statements. The Commissioner did not want to commit directly to league expansion. He noted there will be an owners’ meeting in Las Vegas in July. League expansion will be one of several topics discussed.
Adam Silver noted the NBA already has commitments discussing this topic. He said he senses that the committee will tell the NBA and league offices to move forward with expansion. Commissioner Silver said the NBA recognizes there are “undeserved markets” in the US and elsewhere. Silver expects the decision about expansion to be made in a more formal process. It would be discussed between the league office and a committee of owners.
Seattle and Las Vegas are cities that have drawn the most buzz for NBA expansion. From 1967-2008, Seattle was home to the Supersonics. They failed to secure a new arena deal, and the franchise was relocated to Oklahoma City and rebranded to the Thunder. Las Vegas has been home to the NBA summer league since 2004. There’s a strong chance Vegas has a professional básquet team in the future. Adam Silver and the rest of the league office will discuss league expansion at the owners’ meeting in July.