St. Louis is the perfect spot for an NBA expansion team

While the board wasn’t willing to discuss expansion too deeply this summer, Silver said those discussions will take place this season.  

"...It was something that we told our board we plan to address this season. We're not quite ready yet. There's interest in the process, and I think that we're not there yet with having made specific decisions about markets or even frankly, to expand.” 

NBA expansion is on the horizon 

Despite Silver keeping NBA expansion news close to the vest, the proverbial cat has seemingly been out of the bag for years. All-time NBA leading scorer LeBron James, one of just four athletes to achieve billionaire status, has recently expressed his goal of owning an NBA team in Las Vegas. The Lakers star reiterated his desire to own an expansion team in Sin City during the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas last year.  

“It's crazy to say, but Vegas is a sports town," he said. "You look at the Aces, the hockey team, the Raiders, the A's are coming here. Obviously, they just had F1 here … it's a sports town. Hopefully, I can bring my franchise here someday."

Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O-Neal also expressed interest in owning an expansion team in Las Vegas. Additionally, the media mogul has no intention of partnering with his former teammate James to make it happen. 

“I would like to have my own group,” O'Neal told The Messenger at a Las Vegas-based charity event. “I know Vegas hasn’t been awarded an NBA team yet, but if they ever get to a point where they are awarded a team, I would like to be a part of that. I don’t want to partner up with nobody. I want it all for myself.”

Las Vegas is not the only suitor for expansion, as an NBA return to Seattle seems likely. Seattle formerly hosted the SuperSonics from 1967-2008, when the team moved to Oklahoma City.

While Las Vegas and Seattle are logical options for an NBA expansion team, St. Louis should not be overlooked as a potential destination.    

St. Louis would slot perfectly in the Eastern Conference 

Similarly to Seattle, St. Louis also formerly hosted an NBA franchise. The city was home to the St. Louis Bombers from 1949-50 and the Hawks for 13 seasons from 1955-68, before relocating to Atlanta. 

The Hawks won an NBA championship in St. Louis in 1958 and clinched playoff spots in all but one season there. Oddly enough, St. Louis also drafted Celtics legend Bill Russell No. 2 overall in 1956, but (unwisely) traded him to Boston before his rookie season began.

The ABA also hosted the Spirits of St. Louis from 1974-76.

Given the city’s historic NBA and ABA ties and strong regional interest in basketball, St. Louis is a perfect destination for an expansion team. St. Louis is the third-largest U.S. metro without an NBA team. 

If fan loyalty is factored into the expansion process, St. Louis should be an enticing option for potential investors. The Cardinals and Blues are consistently in the top half of attendance for the respective leagues and the city has rallied around the new MLS team, St. Louis City FC, packing out sold-out crowds of 22,000 people during its inaugural season.  

Plus, since it is located in the center of America, St. Louis is flexible enough to fit in either the Eastern or Western Conference. However, given its proximity to the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers, the team may be better suited for the Eastern Conference. 

Regardless of conference alignment, St. Louis offers everything needed for an NBA franchise to flourish there. Boasting a populous metro, a loyal fanbase, an NBA-ready stadium in Enterprise Center and located in the center of several Midwestern markets, St. Louis offers investors an opportunity to own a prospering franchise in the heart of America.