Finally here! The NBA will formally discuss expanding the army to 32 teams. Seattle and Las Vegas are extremely enthusiastic

On May 14, NBA President Adam Xiao Hua said that he expects the league's expansion to be discussed in the agenda of the next meeting of the league bosses this summer, and formally discusses expanding the NBA to 32 teams. In an interview with SiriusXM NBA radio, Xiao Hua was asked how the league's views on military expansion have been made in the nearly eight weeks since the last meeting of the league's board of directors in New York. At that meeting, the Boston Celtics' sale had just reached an agreement but has not yet been reviewed by the league.

Xiao Hua said that the league has the opportunity to examine the Celtics' sale plan and is full of confidence in the plan, which also provides an opportunity to advance the discussion on expansion.

Xiao Hua said: "I think at the league board meeting held in Las Vegas in July this year, we will put military expansion on the agenda. I feel that we will have a deep discussion with the bosses of 30 teams on the potential military expansion plan, listen to their views, and study how to further advance military expansion."

Previously, Xiao Hua said in September 2024 that he believes that the bosses will start studying the military expansion process sometime in the 2024-25 season. However, the Celtics’ sale delayed the expected timeline for the league’s discussion of the expansion.

At the alliance board meeting in March this year, Xiao Hua refused to disclose the timing of the discussion on the expansion of the army. Last month, Xiao Hua hinted when participating in a podcast program that he would discuss military expansion this summer.

One hour after Xiao Hua made this remark, Paul Allen's estate manager announced that it would officially start the process of selling the Portland Trail Blazers, which is expected to continue until the next NBA season. While this may be another obstacle to the expansion discussion, the Trail Blazers’ position in the NBA market suggests that its impact on expansion may be different from the Celtics’ sale, and is unlikely to cause the same delay.

At the end of 2024, sports media Sportico evaluated the Trail Blazers' value of $3.6 billion, ranking 23rd in the league, while the Celtics' sales valuation was $6.1 billion. Compared to the final price of the Trail Blazers, the Celtics’ selling price has a greater impact on the expansion costs that new teams may have to pay.

In this interview, Xiao Hua once again expressed concerns about talent dilution and the potential economic impact of the two new teams, which is consistent with his past views. He also said that the "specific time arrangement" for military expansion is still to be discussed. However, he once again mentioned two cities that are often mentioned in the military expansion discussion.

Xiao Hua said: "It's obvious that Seattle has a very high enthusiasm for joining the league, as does Las Vegas, and there are several other cities. I learned about the intentions of these cities from various channels. It should be clear that we have not started any related procedures. So, even if there are cities that express interest, we replied, 'Thank you for your attention, but we are not ready to meet and have a deeper discussion.' Early this summer, we will have the opportunity to talk to the owners of NBA teams and listen to their ideas."