The NBA is potentially going to have two new teams in the 2028-29 season, as the league looks at expansion. Seattle and Las Vegas are the front-runners to land those teams, with the league set to hold a vote during the board of governors meeting next week to explore adding franchises in the two cities.
Seattle and Las Vegas’ getting teams would, of course, shake things up significantly when it comes to conferences and divisions. Some sort of shuffling in the divisions was inevitable with expansion, but both these teams being in the West means there would be a change in the conferences as well.
So, what would the NBA look like when you add those two teams? Well, The Sporting Tribune’s Arash Markazi put forth an idea on X on Monday.
NBA executives expect the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Memphis Grizzlies to go to the Eastern Conference. The Timberwolves are the ones whom Markazi is sending to the East. They’ll be in a division with the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, and Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bulls, Pistons, and Bucks are in the Central Division as of now, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers. The Cavaliers and Pacers would separate from this pack and be in a division with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Washington Wizards. The 76ers and Wizards are currently in the Atlantic and Southeast Divisions, respectively.
As for the new entrants, the Seattle SuperSonics would be part of a division with the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, and the Sacramento Kings.
The Trail Blazers are currently part of the Northwest Division with the Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Utah Jazz. The Thunder, Nuggets, and Jazz would stay together in this new setup, with the Grizzlies being the fourth team in the division.
The Grizzlies are currently part of the Southwest Division with the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, and San Antonio Spurs. The Mavericks, Rockets, Pelicans, and Spurs remain together in this scenario.
Lastly, the Warriors and Kings are currently in the Pacific Division with the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns. The Clippers, Lakers, and Suns would remain together, and they’d be joined by the new franchise in Las Vegas.
Now, you can certainly make a case for the NBA to restructure the divisions in this manner, but there would be some complaints. The biggest one would be about the 76ers. They have historically had a rivalry with the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks, and are with them in the Atlantic Division right now. Separating the 76ers from the Celtics and Knicks might not be ideal.
Another idea that is getting brought up is to have two divisions with eight teams, instead of four with four. It seems unlikely the NBA will go down that route, though. We’re probably going to get something similar to what Markazi is suggesting. It will be fascinating to see how this situation unfolds.
