SEATTLE – NOVEMBER 7: Brent Barry (hand up on far right) #31 of the Seattle Sonics (Photo by: Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
The NBA is willing to bring on expansion teams, if you can afford the $2.5 billion price tag.
One of the many problems of the COVID-19 impacted season will be the fact that no fans in the stands will cost the NBA and their 30 individual teams greatly in terms of their gross profit. As unusual as it sounds, getting a 31st and, potentially, 32nd team in the league could generate enough money to help prevent the salary cap from going down and the NBA’s bottom line from shrinking too much.
While adding more teams sounds like a win-win, as long as you ignore the potential of diluting the talent pool by creating two more franchises, some cities and would-be owners might find it difficult to get over the $2.5 billion price tag the NBA has slapped on these potential teams. That total exceeds the $2.35 billion Joe Tsai paid for the Brooklyn Nets.
Seattle, Las Vegas, and Kansas City could all be potential landing spots for a NBA team
Seattle would be the obvious favorite to get a new team, as the Supersonics‘ surprising relocation has left a void in a passionate city with a history of winning. Considering how the NHL, WNBA, and NFL have both put teams in Las Vegas over the last few years, it wouldn’t be outrageous to assume that the NBA is looking to put their imprint on Sin City.
Kansas City could be an intriguing destination. While that city was the one-time home of the Kings before their Sacramento move, and the Spirits of St. Louis’ ABA success shows that the city will support a winning team, they were almost in line to take on the Toronto Raptors for the 2020-21 season before Tampa stepped in.
If any multi-billionaire wants to take the plunge into the NBA, they won’t be short of options when it comes to picking a location for their new team.