"These are profit organizations": 4x NBA champ highlights why $2.5 billion worth expansions for Las Vegas and Seattle make the most sense
The NBA added two more teams as part of its expansion plan and has been doing the rounds for a few years now. Previously, it was reported that Las Vegas and Seattle were ideal cities that would be the homes of the new teams in the league. NBA commissioner Adam Silver shed more light on the matter by saying that the valuations showed that rumored $2.4 billion expansion fee numbers were very low in terms of "the value at which we would expand."
Weighing in on the NBA expansion plan was former Golden State Warriors superstar and four-time champion Andre Iguodala. Speaking on his "Point Forward" podcast alongside Evan Turner, he shared his views on why Vegas and Seattle would be ideal choices for the cities with the new teams:
"It would be an oversaturated market in Vegas in terms of arenas. These are profit organizations. Or make sure you line up the Vegas franchise with the top next prospect in the draft. Moving on to our next city, Seattle. Man, I love Seattle. I think it's one of the cities where you can get free agents.
"I mean, you can get free agents in Vegas but in Seattle, with the way we are moving as athletes, in terms of the business side off the court, Seattle is a Golden State to be. It has those effects."
Many of the top sports leagues have looked at Vegas as one of their primary options. The NHL added the Vegas Golden Knights in 2016 and the team won the Stanley Cup earlier this year. The NFL's Raiders outfit moved there in 2020 and the MLB's Oakland A's will also likely move to Vegas after 2024.
The WNBA has a Las Vegas franchise. The Aces are one of the more successful franchises in the league and have successfully defended their title twice.
As for Seattle, which was once the home of the Supersonics, the team's exit to Oklahoma City (later rebranded as the Oklahoma City Thunder) saw the city left without an NBA team. For quite some time now, the league has mulled over bringing in a team to Seattle, and with a venue in Climate Pledge Arena, the city is primed for an outfit.
LeBron James wants to own the Las Vegas NBA franchise
Earlier, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James expressed his wish to own the Las Vegas NBA team. While citing the success of the other sports teams in the area, he also tagged Silver hinting that he would love to get in on the expansion talks:
"I would love to bring a team here at some point. That would be amazing. I know Adam is in Abu Dhabi right now, I believe. But he probably sees every single interview and transcript that comes through from NBA players. So, I want the team here, Adam. Thank you."
While the expansion talks have been slow-moving, it's only a matter of time before the league greenlights two more teams making it a grand 32 teams in the league. As for James who already has shares in other sports teams, Vegas would just add to the list.