This past week, ESPN insider Shams Charania revealed that the league’s board of governors will hold a vote regarding potential expansion teams. After years of speculation, it finally seems the NBA is moving forward with this. Meanwhile, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has one simple request of commissioner Adam Silver if the league is indeed expanding.
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It has been nearly 22 years since the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league’s ranks, becoming the 30th franchise. It had resulted in a relocation between the Seattle SuperSonics and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the time. However, if this expansion goes as planned, the NBA have their eyes set on two teams, which could complicate matters.
On Monday morning, Shams reported that Las Vegas and Seattle are the two markets expected to receive specific consideration in the upcoming vote, which will take place on March 24 and 25. Bids for these franchises, if approved, will be within the $7 to $10 billion range.
Just in: The NBA will hold a vote at the Board of Governors meetings March 24-25 to explore adding expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, with the two franchises targeted for the 2028-29 season, sources tell ESPN. There is momentum for stakeholders to approve… pic.twitter.com/H6AYVdhh7S
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 16, 2026
Seattle and Las Vegas would be great markets for an NBA team, but they are both on the West Coast. There would be a clear imbalance between Western and Eastern Conference teams. Fortunately, Draymond Green has a solution for NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
“Adam, let them just do us all a favor and take the team to Nashville. No harm, no foul—no relocation fee. It’s a swap. See that arena? You ain’t gotta pay the relocation fee,” Green said on The Draymond Green Show.
Draymond Green wants Adam Silver to relocate the Memphis Grizzlies
“Adam, let them just do us all a favor and take the team to Nashville. No harm, no foul—no relocation fee. It’s a swap. See that arena? You ain’t gotta pay the relocation fee.”
(Via @DraymondShow ) pic.twitter.com/7TlL0ceYij
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 18, 2026
The Memphis Grizzlies have notoriously been a Western Conference team, although they are geographically on the East Coast. Tennessee is a neighbouring state to Georgia, which is the home of the Atlanta Hawks. It doesn’t quite make sense that the Grizzlies are in the West aside from logistics.
Memphis wouldn’t be the only team transferring conferences in this hypothetical. The Minnesota Timberwolves are also teetering more on the East and would finally get their transition if these two expansion teams joined the NBA.
Of course, nothing is set in stone; we will have to wait until the vote is cast. Nevertheless, this is extremely exciting news regarding the growth of the NBA.
