For what feels like a long time now, people all over Las Vegas have been waiting patiently to see whether or not Sin city is going to get a professional men’s basketball team or not. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has made it clear that the gambling capital of the world could be in the hunt. Well, it’s clear that Las Vegas is inching closer to getting an NBA team.
Earlier this month, Silver confirmed that there are still talks ongoing about the NBA adding two more teams in the near future. More specifically, two teams might be added once 2026 gets here. If that ends up being the case, the two main cities being discussed are Las Vegas and Seattle. Obviously, it’d be major for both towns if the NBA makes a move here. For Seattle, it’d be a welcome return after the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City.
“We’re in the process of working with our (existing) teams and gauging the level of interest and having a better understanding of what the economics would be on the ground for those particular teams and what a pro forma would look like for them,” Silver said while speaking to the media not long ago. “And then sometime in 2026, we’ll make a determination.”
That sure makes it seem like Silver is leaving the door open to get done here in the near future. Las Vegas hosts the Summer League and it brings in loads of basketball fans to the area for it. Now imagine if Las Vegas would have a team from start to finish during the regular season. This is something that could end up getting done in the near future. It will be interesting to see if that happens in 2026 or not.
It goes without saying, but getting an NBA team would be massive for the Las Vegas gambling market. As things stand, people are consistently checking the NBA Vegas odds for their favorite teams. Things hear up there whenever the NBA playoff Vegas odds kick into a new gear too. Even players and coaches like the idea of Las Vegas getting a team, which is quite telling.
“Just because some markets don’t generate the same revenue as others, it doesn’t mean they are markets that are not worthy of NBA franchises,” Silver said. “If you look in our constitution, the factors that the owners are required to look at in making determination on whether to relocate a team is to look at the support that team has historically had in that community, the operation of that team, the competitive opportunity in that market.”
Looking to get in on the betting action too? This is our reminder for you that there’s no better time than now to check the Las Vegas online casinos for great deals that are popping up. With the NBA season in full swing, places like Bovada, BetOnline and others have fantastic promotions for NBA fans to take a look at. If you’re on the fence about things, they can be quite enticing.
As for the action on the hardwood, Las Vegas residents know what getting a pro team would do to the local economy. We’ve seen the NHL and WNBA make the move to Vegas, while MLB could be coming soon too. With all of that said, people are keeping a close eye on the NBA too, as things could arrive as early as 2026. So many people will be happy if that turns out to be the case.
While we all wait to see what happens with the league and Las Vegas, keep in mind right now that the Thunder are huge favorites to win the NBA Finals. This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, as Oklahoma City has been dominant this year. It was a bit of a surprise that they weren’t able to win the NBA Cup, with the New York Knicks coming out on top there.
However, despite the Thunder failing to win that title, the oddsmakers have given them an impressive +150 odds to win it all. Remember that the Thunder won the NBA Finals last season for the first time in franchise history. Will they be able to get the job done once again? That’s what people in OKC want to see, but other teams are going to work overtime to prevent that.
Other teams in the hunt include the Nuggets, Knicks and many more. There’s still a bit of a wait until the postseason gets here, but once it does, we’re going to get a better picture of which teams are going to be contenders and which teams are going to be pretenders. The Thunder are going to have a target on their back for the rest of the season. We’ll see how things play out for them.
