NBA reconsiders expansion to recoup losses

[CelticsElite]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30576045/adam-silver-acknowledges-possibility-nba-expansion

with the NBA opening up lines of credit during the pandemic to give its teams economic relief, it is notable that Silver acknowledged the possibility of expanding beyond the current 30 teams -- particularly as each expansion team would come with a hefty entry fee that would all but certainly exceed $1 billion, which would then be passed on to the current teams.

[Ogaju]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30576045/adam-silver-acknowledges-possibility-nba-expansion

with the NBA opening up lines of credit during the pandemic to give its teams economic relief, it is notable that Silver acknowledged the possibility of expanding beyond the current 30 teams -- particularly as each expansion team would come with a hefty entry fee that would all but certainly exceed $1 billion, which would then be passed on to the current teams.

bad move unless you are going to Division play..

[Who]

Terrible reason. NBA is already too big. Too many teams.

Too many teams without a chance to win. Fans less engaged. Weaker product.

[Somebody]

Terrible reason. NBA is already too big. Too many teams.

Too many teams without a chance to win. Fans less engaged. Weaker product.

Might lead to an era like the 70s where expansion thinned out the whole league though

[GreenShooter]

They are going to lose more even when life returns to "normal". They were exposed during the pandemic. Both players and Association. A lot of people were turned off completely, some indefinitely.

[Moranis]

I think that is a bad reason to do it, but I do think they should have 32 teams.  Give Seattle a team and maybe St. Louis.  Then you go to 8, 4 team divisions.

East
1 - BOS, NY, PHI, BKN
2 - DET, CLE, TOR, WAS
3 - CHI, MIL, MIN, IND
4 - MIA, ATL, ORL, CHA

West
1 - NO, STL, HOU, MEM
2 - OKC, SAN, DAL, PHO
3 - SEA, POR, SAC, GS
4 - DEN, LAC, LAL, UTA

Play all division teams 4 times each - 12 games
Play same conference 3 times each - 36 games
Play other conference 2 times each - 32 games

80 game schedule (or play an extra division game for 83 game schedule)

[NKY fan]

I think that is a bad reason to do it, but I do think they should have 32 teams.  Give Seattle a team and maybe St. Louis.  Then you go to 8, 4 team divisions.

East
1 - BOS, NY, PHI, BKN
2 - DET, CLE, TOR, WAS
3 - CHI, MIL, MIN, IND
4 - MIA, ATL, ORL, CHA

West
1 - NO, STL, HOU, MEM
2 - OKC, SAN, DAL, PHO
3 - SEA, POR, SAC, GS
4 - DEN, LAC, LAL, UTA

Play all division teams 4 times each - 12 games
Play same conference 3 times each - 36 games
Play other conference 2 times each - 32 games

80 game schedule (or play an extra division game for 83 game schedule)

How about have the three additional games floating - selected based on TV ratings? This can hurt some teams but wouldn’t Celtics playing the lakers 4 times a year be wonderful?

[AshyLarry]

I think that is a bad reason to do it, but I do think they should have 32 teams.  Give Seattle a team and maybe St. Louis.  Then you go to 8, 4 team divisions.

East
1 - BOS, NY, PHI, BKN
2 - DET, CLE, TOR, WAS
3 - CHI, MIL, MIN, IND
4 - MIA, ATL, ORL, CHA

West
1 - NO, STL, HOU, MEM
2 - OKC, SAN, DAL, PHO
3 - SEA, POR, SAC, GS
4 - DEN, LAC, LAL, UTA

Play all division teams 4 times each - 12 games
Play same conference 3 times each - 36 games
Play other conference 2 times each - 32 games

80 game schedule (or play an extra division game for 83 game schedule)

Don’t say St. Louis- Tatum might wanna go there.

[Moranis]

I think that is a bad reason to do it, but I do think they should have 32 teams.  Give Seattle a team and maybe St. Louis.  Then you go to 8, 4 team divisions.

East
1 - BOS, NY, PHI, BKN
2 - DET, CLE, TOR, WAS
3 - CHI, MIL, MIN, IND
4 - MIA, ATL, ORL, CHA

West
1 - NO, STL, HOU, MEM
2 - OKC, SAN, DAL, PHO
3 - SEA, POR, SAC, GS
4 - DEN, LAC, LAL, UTA

Play all division teams 4 times each - 12 games
Play same conference 3 times each - 36 games
Play other conference 2 times each - 32 games

80 game schedule (or play an extra division game for 83 game schedule)

Don’t say St. Louis- Tatum might wanna go there.

Louisville instead of St. Louis would work also.  Growing city, big basketball market, and they've never tried a team there so I could absolutely see Louisville be the 2nd team behind Seattle.  I could also see a team in Mexico City, Montreal, or Calgary depending on what the market analysis was.   

You can also have some movement in the divisions, but I think what I had made the most sense. 

[RPGenerate]

Give Vancouver and Seattle their teams back, and move the Pelicans and the Grizzlies to the Eastern Conference.

[Kernewek]

I don't think you'll see a Mexico City or Vancouver expansion until well after the current crisis is contained.

[gift]

There's more than enough talent in the world to have 32 teams, but you need to fix problems with contract lengths, max deals etc.

Mark Cuban was on with Bill Simmons recently and said he thinks the time is not right at the moment, but that he does think it should happen. He said $1 billion expansion fees are where it would need to start to even get the league's attention. I'm guessing more likely it takes $2 billion each in the end.

[Who]

Posted this in the wrong thread ...

I watched a recent interview with Dan Issel last week. He was talking about trying to bring an NBA team to Kentucky. Said they had a strong group of people trying to make it happen (for a number of years now) and an NBA ready arena in Louisville. Said he felt they had a shot at making it happen.

Issel played for Kentucky Colonels in the ABA but their team was lost in the merger.

[CFAN38]

There's more than enough talent in the world to have 32 teams, but you need to fix problems with contract lengths, max deals etc.

Mark Cuban was on with Bill Simmons recently and said he thinks the time is not right at the moment, but that he does think it should happen. He said $1 billion expansion fees are where it would need to start to even get the league's attention. I'm guessing more likely it takes $2 billion each in the end.

I agree expansion needs to come with some reforms. The balance between on court product and off the court drama (reality TV) feels like it is spinning out of control. In my opinion to much emphasis is placed on player movement. Case in point, one day before the season opens Leonard is answering questions regarding him excepting or declining his player option. 

[coco]

The last thing the NBA needs is to "water-down" the product some more...

I am opposed to an expansion.