"No secret discussions, no commitments" - Adam Silver opens up on NBA's plans to expand teams in Las Vegas
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the idea of adding a new team to the league soon on Sirius XM. It's an idea that many basketball fans are excitedly clamoring for and are hoping will happen sooner than later. Aside from fans, many people who are already involved in the league are interested in the idea.
The last time that a new team was added to the league was in 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Charlotte Hornets) became the NBA's 30th team. Now, almost 20 years since the last expansion, talks of adding another team are picking up once again.
Several cities have the potential to host a new team. One that comes to mind immediately is Seattle, which used to be the home of the SuperSonics. However, another home city for a new team that is gaining more traction than Seattle is Las Vegas.
When asked about the potential for expanding into Nevada and who could be part of the group that owns a franchise there, Adam Silver said:
"Well, No. 1, I'll say is there are no inside candidates. Lots of players, former players, well-known wealthy people out there have expressed interest in having a Las Vegas franchise. What I've said to everyone publicly and privately is that there is no process in place, no secret discussions, no commitments to anyone."
Silver said that there are still some things that need to be done concerning the media deals that the NBA has before an expansion can be looked into seriously. He said that the current TV deal that is in place will expire next year, which indicates that the league will prioritize creating a new TV deal that is beneficial to all parties before talks of an expansion can start seriously.
He also said that the league wants to fully understand the economic implications of such a move because adding one or two more teams will cause a dramatic shift in the NBA's economic landscape.
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Adam Silver talks about Chris Paul and Scott Foster feud
Aside from rivalries between teams and players, it appears that a long-standing beef between Golden State Warriors point guard Chris Paul and referee Scott Foster.
The fans and the media have talked about the animosity between the two at length, and Adam Silver made his thoughts known regarding the issue.
"You have there two veterans who are the best at what they do," Silver said. "Scott is one of the most respected NBA officials, one of the highest-rated NBA officials which is why he referees in our finals games. And, of course, Chris (Paul), track record speaks for itself."
Silver then said that the way the league has tried to handle it is to speak with both of them privately and remind them that they are professionals and regardless of what has happened between them, they need to do their jobs.
Also read: "We take a backseat" - Adam Silver addresses concerns on NBA allowing Josh Giddey to play amid alleged scandal.