• Loading stock data...
Friday, August 8, 2025
Tuned In returns to NYC on September 16. Hear from the biggest names in sports media. Click here to get your spot

Vegas Positioned for NBA Expansion Team, but Where Will It Play?

The NBA hasn’t even formalized an expansion process, but competition is heating up quickly in Las Vegas, again the concluding site of the Emirates NBA Cup. 

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas gets another high-profile basketball event with Tuesday’s championship game of the Emirates NBA Cup. The title game, however, again raises the question of whether the eight-year-old arena will be the home of an eventual NBA expansion franchise. 

It’s long been believed Las Vegas is at or near the top of the league’s list of potential expansion markets, should it look to grow beyond 30 teams. Long before the NBA even formalizes a process to add new franchises, though, there are now at least three different potential site candidates in Las Vegas for a team, further complicating an issue that has to define itself fully.

Oak View Group has been at this the longest, with a plan dating back nearly three years for a large-scale resort and NBA-ready arena near the south end of the famed Las Vegas Strip. Much more recently, the Clark County (Nev.) Zoning Commission unanimously approved several key components for a somewhat similar project called LVXP near the north end of the Strip.

In between them is the existing arena, one in which Golden Knights owner Bill Foley wants to invest $300 million for improvements, and says building a new venue for the NBA in Las Vegas is a “waste of time,” adding that T-Mobile “is a perfect place for an NBA team.” Foley’s planned upgrades—being considered in coordination with the venue’s other two owners, AEG and MGM Resorts International—span a range of projects, including additional seating, new luxury-seating areas, and enhancements to the facility’s exterior footprint.

“It would be great to give T-Mobile [Arena] a real facelift if an NBA team were to come in,” Foley recently told Nevada Week. “We have a lot of things we’re working on, but there’ll be more revealed later. I’ve learned from my time with [NHL commissioner] Gary Bettman that I should not speak to anything about what a commissioner might do or might not do, because he laid it on the line for me.”

A Much Cheaper Ticket Market

In the meantime, the ticket resale market for Tuesday’s Emirates NBA Cup final between the Bucks and Thunder is way down compared to last year.

On multiple platforms, low-end, get-in seats for the championship game can be obtained for less than $50. That’s less than one-third of the comparable figure from a year ago, showing the impact of not having a marquee, big-market team such as the Lakers or Knicks involved, with the competition instead involving mid-market franchises from the Midwest and Southwest.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

WNBA

Crypto Group Says It’s Behind WNBA Dildo Epidemic

The group backs a memecoin that launched last week.

More Dildo Throwing During WNBA Games Leads to Second Arrest

The 18-year-old threw a dildo that hit another fan and his young niece.
May 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8), and forward Jayson Tatum (0) and New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during game three of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.

Celtics Sale Set to Close in Next Two Weeks

The $6.1B deal has taken longer to close than other recent franchise sales.

Featured Today

Inked Under Anesthesia: Athletes Getting $50,000 Tattoos

High-end studios, elite artist teams, and hours under anesthesia.
Coco Gauff at New York Liberty
August 2, 2025

How the New York Liberty Became the Hottest Ticket in Town

Once banished to the burbs, the Libs are now Brooklyn’s marquee attraction.
Las Vegas sign
July 29, 2025

College Sports Embracing Vegas After Years of Cold Shoulder

The Big Ten became the latest newcomer to Sin City.
2000, Jupiter, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Montreal Expos pitcher Hideki Irabu in action on the mound against the New York Mets at Roger Dean Stadium during Spring Training
July 28, 2025

Dead Sports Franchises Are Alive and Well on Twitter

The Expos, Sonics, and Whalers have active social media accounts.

Browns Push Forward on $2.4B Stadium Despite Political Obstacles

The NFL team plans a stadium groundbreaking, despite funding and legal issues.
Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Injured Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on from the bench during the first half of a basketball game against the Chicago Sky at United Center.
July 28, 2025

Chicago Sky Sell Out United Center With Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Out

The Sky announced 19,601 fans attended the game at the United Center.
Jan 26, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field.
July 29, 2025

$3.8B Commanders Stadium On Track for D.C. Approval

D.C. continues two days of public hearings on a proposed Commanders stadium.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 25, 2025

Prospective Rays Owner Must Start Fresh As $1.3B Stadium Deal Ends

St. Petersburg, Fla., officials formally terminate a prior ballpark agreement.
July 25, 2025

Eagles Turn to Their Fans As They Consider Future Stadium Plans

The defending Super Bowl champions are surveying season-ticket holders.
Jul 2, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox fans cheer after a home run by Boston Red Sox designated hitter Wilyer Abreu (52) during the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Fenway Park.
July 25, 2025

Fenway Concession Workers Go on Strike for Dodgers Series

They’re asking fans not to buy food and drink at the games.
July 24, 2025

Commanders Restructure $3.8B Stadium Pact Ahead of Council Vote

A D.C. Council vote on the proposed stadium is now set for Aug. 1.