The NBA could select a winning bid for an expansion team in Las Vegas before turning its attention to Seattle, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
The league appears to be taking different approaches to the two markets as it continues exploring expansion, with multiple ownership groups competing for Las Vegas while the Seattle process currently has fewer publicly known bidders.
“It could name a winning bid in Las Vegas before it moves on to Seattle,” industry sources familiar with the process told Vorkunov.
Las Vegas has already gone through two bid deadlines, including the latest submission on September 17. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said last week that another round of bids would arrive soon, although he emphasized that those submissions would not be the final ones.
“There will be next-round bids coming in shortly, not final bids, but next-round bids coming in,” Silver said.
Several ownership groups remain involved in the Las Vegas process. A group led by Nancy Walton Laurie and her husband, Bill Laurie, is believed to be among the contenders. Bill Foley, owner of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, is also pursuing an NBA team.
Another group, the Las Vegas Jacks, includes Jerry Colangelo and Vinny Del Negro as its named NBA representatives and former Turner Broadcasting president David Levy. At least one additional undisclosed group is also believed to remain in contention.
Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger had previously been involved in the Las Vegas process but ultimately shifted their focus toward purchasing the Los Angeles Lakers.
The arena situation remains unresolved in Las Vegas. Silver said the NBA has discussed several potential locations, including a possible renovation of T-Mobile Arena. He also noted that other ownership groups have presented plans for entirely new venues designed as large-scale entertainment destinations.
“We’ve seen some proposals for what I would describe as a modern entertainment palace,” Silver said.
The NBA has also examined the potential influence of the Sphere and its technology-driven entertainment model as it considers what a future Las Vegas NBA arena could become.
Seattle presents a different situation. Samantha Holloway, owner of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, is the only publicly known major bidder currently positioned in the market, although a second group led by New York-based BlackSun Private Equity and the Tulalip Tribes has also emerged.
Holloway has publicly expressed her desire to bring the SuperSonics back to Seattle. Climate Pledge Arena is already operating, and the NBA has sent operational groups to evaluate the venue.
Silver said Seattle’s arena could accommodate an NBA team relatively quickly.
“If we were opening in five weeks, we could be ready in Seattle,” Silver said.
The NBA formally approved exploration of Seattle and Las Vegas as expansion markets in March. The league is targeting a decision on expansion by the end of 2026, with potential teams aiming to begin play as early as the 2028-29 season.
However, neither market has received an expansion franchise yet. The NBA still has to determine the ownership groups, arena arrangements and other details, including expansion draft and roster rules.
