NBA CommissionerAdam Silver is finally pulling back the curtain on the league’s long-rumored expansion plans – and while he stops short of calling it a “done deal,” his latest comments all but confirm the inevitable.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show Wednesday, Silver opened up about the roadmap for growth, acknowledging that the league’s recent media rights deal and collective bargaining agreement have cleared the path for serious expansion talks.
“What I’ve been saying for the last several years, we knew we needed to get a new collective bargaining agreement done. We did. We needed a new media deal to get done… We did that,” Silver said. “We’ve locked in our television rights for 11 years… I think as we get into the summer, we’ll get into a more formal process of how we go about doing it.”
The next natural step
While stopping short of guaranteeing expansion, Silver hinted that it’s the natural next step.
“Organizations tend to grow. And I look at the success of those markets for other major league teams, and so it’s easy to present a scenario where you can see it working successfully for the league,” he added. “But I don’t want to jump the gun here.”
But if you’re wondering whether this means the Dallas Mavericks are secretly headed to Las Vegas – pump the brakes.
Silver shoots down conspiracy theories
Silver also shut down the swirling rumors suggesting the recent Luka Doncic trade was part of a plot to move the Mavericks to Vegas, orchestrated by team governor Patrick Dumont, who also happens to be the president and COO of Las Vegas Sands Corp.
“No,” Silver said bluntly – and he’s not the only one pushing back. Dumont has also addressed the speculation directly, stating that the Mavericks are staying put in Texas, with plans in motion for a new arena as part of a major real estate project in the Dallas area.
For now, the Mavericks aren’t moving, but the NBA might be. The expansion clock is ticking – and Silver just confirmed it’s only a matter of time.
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