Dark-horse candidate emerges for NBA expansion

It's been assumed that Seattle was the leading candidate for expansion, because they lost the Supersonics to Oklahoma City in a move that was at best shady and at worst, outright theft. Seattle also has the brand-new Climate Pledge Arena, home to the NHL's Kraken and the WNBA's Storm. Meanwhile Las Vegas is nearly an NBA city already, hosting NBA Summer League every year, after hosting the All-Star Game in 2007. But it sounds like a city to the South is in the running for an expansion franchise.

The NBA added Capitanes de Ciudad de Mexico to the G League for the 2021-22 season, one of the few G League teams not directly affiliated with an NBA franchise. The team plays at the 22,300-seat Mexico City Arena, though the team limits capacity to 8,000 for Capitanes games. This year, the team is loaded with semi-famous former NBA players, like former No. 3 pick Jahlil Okafor, NBA Finalist Alfonzo McKinnie, and two-time NCAA champion and LeBron James favorite Shabazz Napier.

Deputy commissioner Mark Tatum told Andscape, "If we were to turn to expansion, there’s no doubt that Mexico City would have to be one the cities that would be in consideration...One of the biggest challenges around international expansion has always been the travel issues, the facility issues. But there is a world-class facility in Mexico City in Arena CDMX, which is where we’ve been playing our games and our global games in Mexico." Tatum said that travel to Mexico would not be an impediment, but claimed that expansion was "not immediately on the docket."

Why Mexico City? It's the sixth-largest city in the world, with nearly 22 million people in its metropolitan area. That's two million more than the NBA's largest metro area, New York City. There's also a likely owner in Carlos Slim, the world's 11th-richest man. And the NBA likes the idea of a team there becoming effectively Mexico's national team, much the way that the Toronto Raptors are for Canada. 

While the NBA insists they're not immediately moving on expansion, the fees should reach at least $3 billion for a new franchise, and owner might not be able to resist. Two new teams could mean at least a $200 million dividend for each owner, and it would increase the TV rights deal.

It might not happen at all, but the NBA is strongly indicating it's willing to say "Lo siento" to at least one American city.