NBA is targeting 2027/28 for expansion teams to begin playing
NBA is targeting the 2027/28 season for the new franchises’ official inclusion, which will also be the one in which they will begin play.
The road map toward a new NBA expansion, which could take the league from the current 30 to 32 teams, had been made clear early on: first the new collective bargaining agreement (ratified), then the new "media deal" (also signed), and then, eventually, the expasion. Now the time has come, and the NBA commissioner has confirmed that it will be discussed intensively in the coming months. Seattle and Las Vegas remain the main candidates for expansion. As for Las Vegas, some rumors speak of a possible interest by LeBron in having a small minority stake in the franchise that could be hosted by the Californian city. While for Seattle, according to ESPN, the Oklahoma City Thunder would be ready to allow the eventual new team to acquire the "Supersonics" name again
As reported by sources to ESPN, the NBA is targeting the 2027/28 season for the new franchises’ official inclusion, which will also be the one in which they will begin play.