Career Opportunities Pera is probably sincere on that score. As part of the expansion draft, the four expansion teams (ATL, BKN, LAL and MIN) will select two players each from the non-protected player pool. The NBA-ready arena, Bell Centre, can also hold up to 22,000. There is no hard-and-fast rule for determining where they select in their inaugural seasons. There are plenty of cities that deserve NBA teams. The potential for two new NBA expansion teams appears stuck in the center of two market forces pushing in opposite directions. Attendance is relatively high for the only professional basketball team in town, the Seattle Storm. The players were drawn almost exclusively from the United States. The previous year's expansion teams, the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat, were not involved in this draft and did not lose any player. Learn more about the changes and new teams: Birmingham (New Orleans Pelicans): Debuts in 2022-23, Announced: October 24, 2018 | Official Release, Location: Erie, Pa. (starting in 2019-20), Birmingham, Ala. (estimated 2022-23), Home Arena: Erie Insurance Arena (beginning in 2019-20), Legacy Arena (estimated 2022-23), Previous Names: Erie BayHawks (2017-present), Copyright 2021 NBA G League Media Ventures, LLC. This division-weighted schedule will be important when it comes to qualifying for the revised playoffs. Also, be sure to check out the Overtime Heroics Forums page to join in on the discussion! In short, basketball has the talent to expand. Basketball culture in the city is also exploding, the perfect recipe for the next NBA city. Breaking Down Her Loss Against Alyona Rassohyna, Boston Celtics Slow Start (11-9); Don’t Panic Yet. Home to the G League’s Mexico City Captains. Adding teams could affect the championship chase as well; the NBAâs large-scale expansion arguably assisted the Chicago Bulls in constructing their dynasty. All rights reserved. Swap Utah and Mexico City, and it’s good. One of them of course being the Seattle Supersonics! ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported the NBA is considering expansion ⦠Also, they offer the first-ever crowd-sourced, no carb, no sugar, energy drink called RAZE and much more! And although NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has stated the NBA isnât engaging in expanding to 32 teams (or beyond), that doesnât mean itâs a closed case. Last year, the NBA faced a loss worth billions of dollars due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More teams makes for a greater spread of talent, thus reducing the likelihood of teams utterly decimating the other franchises. The NBA G League welcomes a 28th team for the 2019-20 season in the College Park Skyhawks, affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks. NBA Expansion In 1970, 28 teams competed at the highest level of professional basketball. The 30-team league hasnât added a new franchise since 2004, when the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) were introduced. Subsequently, regular season play will pause for All-Star celebrations. However, this realignment reduces travel costs for some of the league’s poorest teams. The club previously competed in Mexico’s National Professional Basketball League, making back-to-back appearances in the finals and earning a fourth-place finish in the Americas League. Also, follow me on Twitter at @BBGoldenHall and follow us @OT_Heroics for more great content! All rights reserved. Largest metropolitan area population in North America with 21.6 million people. Privacy Policy Each team will play the following schedule: 21 intradivision games, 8 inter-division games, and 8 interconference games. In addition, most of the best athletes pursued careers in baseball and football. The franchise won the 1979 NBA Finals and three conferences finals while being led by three Hall of Famers. Adam Silver and others have long and openly desired changes to the NBA. Their primary goals appear to be increasing global popularity and maximizing revenue. Privacy Policy Terms of Use, Copyright 2021 NBA Media Ventures, LLC. (Scaling the league and actually getting from 30 to 48 will be tricky when it comes to scheduling, but a few years of wonky, weighted schedules can be don⦠The Sonics have a proud (and mostly successful) history in the NBA. A look at 10 potential destinations for the NBA after Commissioner Adam Silver called expansion âinevitable.â A pedestrian walks in front of the T-Mobile Arena a ⦠That would see the Celtics ⦠The NBA hasn't added a team since it expanded to 30 by agreeing to add the Charlotte Hornets -- then Bobcats -- in 2002 (they began play in 2004). COVID-19 crisis has prompted increased speculation about NBA expansion and relocation. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the league has started to consider expansion, the first time in more than a decade that has been on the table. If the NBA is ever serious about expansion, these eight cities should be at the top of the list. Before then, you have to go back to 1995, when the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver (now Memphis) Grizzlies entered the league. Mexico City is roughly the same longitude as Dallas and San Antonio and would be a natural rival to the southern tier of the Central Division. The NBA is finally willing to take a legitimate look at expansion. 5 more possible NBA expansion cities that are favorites to be the NBA expansion franchise or the next NBA relocation cities 4. When a team is admitted to the NBA, the new ownership has to pay a fee to the current 30 teams. The players were drawn almost exclusively from the United States. An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. What do you think? The Boston Celtics and New York Knickerbockers are two NBA teams that started and still play in the same NBA city and have the same team name. The 1970 NBA Expansion Draft was the fifth expansion draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Placing the teams into four divisions of eight teams each will add extra significance to division titles. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has flagged the potential for expansion in the first time in his tenure. In addition, check out our partners at Repp Sports! However you feel, be sure to comment, retweet, like, and offer your own plans. The NBA is entertaining the idea of expansion. Plus, basketball Prior to the draft, the league conducted a coin flip between the Timberwolves and the Magic to decide their draft order in this expansion draft and in the 1989 NBA draft . Adding two franchises would further increase the popularity of the sport and generate more revenue. This fee is Above all, this change will keep players healthier for an expanded playoff format. Moreover, the plan realigns the divisions, reforms the postseason, and dramatically alters the draft lottery. These divisions will foster regional rivalries and facilitate a revised playoff format. In 1970, 28 teams competed at the highest level of professional basketball. Get extensive video coverage including highlights, interviews and behind-the-scenes access. The NBA G League will feature all-time high 28 teams during the 2019-20 season, each singly affiliated with an NBA parent club. Travel, on-demand viewing, and a deeper talent pool create circumstances vastly different than those that existed when the NBA was established decades ago. Moreover, the American population was nearly half what it is today. However, in 2020, the NBA has only 30 teams, draws talent from around the globe, and is arguably the second choice (after soccer) for most of the world’s top athletes. You have entered an incorrect email address! One way to combat that is league expansion. An NBA expansion team in Mexico City makes a ton of sense on a couple of fronts. Thanks for reading, and look soon for the second installment focusing on playoff and draft lottery changes. The draft was held on May 11, 1970, so that the newly founded Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers could acquire players for the upcoming 1970â71 season. NBA expansion: According to recent reports, the league has apparently asked Seattle and Las Vegas $2.5 million each for expanding the league after 16 years. The NBA is familiar with the city of Las Vegas, where the summer league has grown to include all 30 teams. Instead, the future is shaped based on the current reality. Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email NBA commissioner Adam Silver said recently the league may dust off long dormant expansion plans, igniting prospective cities and ⦠However, use the link above or add the promo code OTH1 for 30% off at checkout! Time zones largely dictated, with eastern, central, mountain, and pacific time zone teams grouped together as much as possible. Terms of Use In a nod to player requests for a shorter regular season schedule, teams will compete in a 74-game regular season. An NBA team in the Mexican capital could cement the sport in the national landscape, make further inroads into all of Latin America, and foster generations of players. Accessibility and Closed Captions Click to share on Facebook (Opens in ⦠With the coronavirus pandemic forcing a month-long hiatus and a recalibrated 2020 postseason, now is the perfect opportunity for the National Basketball Association to reconsider foundational structures. On one end, adding two new franchises at ⦠The league launched with eight teams in 2001-02. This author’s proposal expands the NBA by two teams. For example, placing the Central Division in the Western Conference is likely to generate some controversy. Recouping whatâs lost Expansion would be a useful tool for addressing the losses incurred by the NBA. Manage Cookies, Advertise on NBA.com The NBA should continue to maintain its two geographically-oriented conferences. However, the other recommendation is a bit ambitious but with captivating possibilities. NBA 2K21 DROP A LIKE! After that, teams will resume their schedules with 8 interconference games, 8 inter-division games, and close the season with 21 intradivision games. Basketball still looks more or less the same, but the NBA will have expanded from 30 North American clubs to 32, (re)adding the Seattle SuperSonics and finally cashing in on their flirtation with Mexico City. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. The Seattle Center Arena is about to be fully renovated. DROP A COMMENT! NBA officials have reportedly "floated" the idea of a $2.5 billion price tag each for two expansion franchises. Realignment, playoff revisions, and, dare I write, expansion should all be on the table. By accessing any information beyond this page, you agree to abide by the NBA.com Vancouver, Canada âCanada could handle two NBA teams,â Silver said last year. First, the nearly 9 million people in the city and the 20 million in the metro area would make it the biggest market in the league. When drawing division lines, some difficult choices had to be made. Help. © Copyright Overtime Heroics, Last Word On Sports INC, Adam Silver and others have long and openly desired changes to the NBA, player requests for a shorter regular season schedule, Teo Lopez: There are no four kings at 135…There are three queens and I’m the king, 2021 White Sox: Tim Anderson Primed To Soar, These Teams Made out the Best in MLB Offseason Moves, Did Stamp Fairtex Tap? Should the league choose to expand, ⦠To some extent, the reformers envision a process where the past is mostly cast aside. And more importantly, will have expand to 48 total teams across 13 countries. In this first of a two-part series, the reader is invited to comment on their thoughts on expansion and realignment. Determining the best locations is no easy task. This seems to be true in the NBA: 80% of the best players play for the Warriors 20% of the teams. ⦠The New Orleans Pelicans announced an expansion team in Birmingham, Ala., which will play in Erie starting in 2019-20, and is expected to relocate to Birmingham in 2022, following the renovation of Legacy Arena. Sporting leagues also hope that the expansion of their competition will grow the popularity of the sport generally. NBA Expansion, Realignment, Playoff Revisions, and a Real Lottery. Your California Privacy Rights Adding 6 teams to the NBA for a total of 36 TEAMS! Moreover, the American population was nearly half what it So with 32 teams, realignment is necessary. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. With a larger metro area than Vancouver it makes perfect sense for NBA expansion or an NBA relocation team. The NBA G League welcomes a 28th team for the 2019-20 season in the College Park Skyhawks, affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks. Within the league office, sources said officials have floated the price tag of $2.5 billion each for two expansion teams in the near future. Here's how two new teams in the league would impact the Boston Celtics. An even 32 teams would also allow for a healthy realignment, but more on that later. Expansion teams also have picks in the actual NBA Draft. Yet, one obvious answer leaps to nearly every fan’s mind. Thatâd be $166,666,667 for each of the existing 30 teams. The G League holds its annual winter showcase every December, with ⦠The NBA is considering expansion after having brushed aside the idea for some time. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the NBA has floated an expansion fee of $2.5 billion apiece for two new teams, with multiple offers expected ⦠And facilitate a revised playoff format NBA commissioner Adam Silver and others have long and openly desired to... 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