Mexico City has emerged as a potential destination in the NBA’s expansion plans, with commissioner Adam Silver reportedly telling team owners that a Seattle franchise is “no longer a lock,” according to Brian Windhorst.
The NBA is reportedly using Mexico City as leverage to encourage Seattle’s bidding group to increase its offer. The development could add another contender to the league’s expansion discussions as it evaluates ownership proposals and potential markets.
Mexico City offers a substantial commercial market, with a metropolitan population of approximately 23 million people. The city also has an established basketball presence through the Mexico City Capitanes, who joined the NBA G League in the 2021-22 season and play at Mexico City Arena.
The venue, which has a reported capacity of 22,300, has already hosted professional basketball and provides an existing facility that could be relevant to the NBA’s evaluation. The Capitanes’ presence also gives the league an established connection to the Mexican market, although a G League franchise does not guarantee a path to an NBA team.
The NBA’s expansion process continues to focus on Las Vegas and Seattle, the two markets formally approved for exploration in March. According to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, the league could select a winning bid in Las Vegas before turning its attention to Seattle.
“It could name a winning bid in Las Vegas before it moves on to Seattle,” industry sources familiar with the process told Vorkunov.
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Las Vegas has multiple ownership groups competing for a franchise, including a group led by Nancy Walton Laurie and her husband, Bill Laurie, and a bid involving Bill Foley, owner of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. The Las Vegas Jacks, represented by Jerry Colangelo, Vinny Del Negro and former Turner Broadcasting president David Levy, are also among the reported contenders.
Seattle has fewer publicly known bidders. Samantha Holloway, owner of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, has expressed her desire to bring the SuperSonics back to the city. A second group involving New York-based BlackSun Private Equity and the Tulalip Tribes has also emerged.
Seattle has an existing NBA-ready venue in Climate Pledge Arena. Silver previously indicated that the city could accommodate a team quickly, saying, “If we were opening in five weeks, we could be ready in Seattle.”
The NBA is targeting an expansion decision by the end of 2026, with potential teams aiming to begin play in the 2028-29 season. Neither Las Vegas nor Seattle has been awarded a franchise, and ownership arrangements, arena plans and roster rules remain unresolved.
