Report: No 'imminent' plans for NBA expansion announcement despite rumors
On Wednesday, the basketball world exploded after a report emerged claiming the NBA was ready to announce two new expansion cities.
In a since-deleted Tweet, Willie G Ramirez of the Associated Press said, according to "multiple sources," the NBA was preparing to announce expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas. Ramirez added that the expected announcement would occur at one of the Los Angeles Clippers' two preseason games scheduled for Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
If Ramirez's deleted tweet wasn't enough, Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal threw more cold water on the rumor. According to Akers, no "imminent" announcement about expansion is coming from the NBA.
Seattle has been an obvious spot for NBA expansion since the Supersonics left for Oklahoma City after the 2007-08 season.
As for Las Vegas, it's a budding spot for pro sports, having just added the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017. Also, current Los Angeles Laker LeBron James has expressed interest in owning an NBA team in Vegas.
In June, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league would "invariably" expand at some point, but it wasn't a discussion at this time.
"Those are wonderful markets," Silver said about Las Vegas and Seattle. "We were in Seattle. I'm sorry we are no longer there. We have a WNBA team in Seattle in an almost brand-new building that's doing spectacular. And Las Vegas, where we will be at our summer league in July, has shown itself to be a great sports market as well."
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