NBA Players and Coaches Enthusiastic About League Expansion Plans

Basketball professionals are showing strong support for the NBA's formal exploration of adding new teams in Seattle and Las Vegas. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and other league figures expressed excitement about bringing basketball back to the Pacific Northwest and expanding to Nevada.

NEW YORK — Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, a Portland native who cheered for the Trail Blazers growing up, admits he could never support their division rival Seattle SuperSonics back in the day.

However, the prospect of professional basketball returning to Seattle — nearly twenty years after the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City — definitely has the veteran coach’s endorsement.

Wednesday’s announcement that the NBA will officially begin studying expansion opportunities, focusing on Seattle and Las Vegas as potential host cities, generated positive responses from Spoelstra and numerous other league personnel.

His stance is clear: he supports the move.

“It would be fun,” Spoelstra commented Wednesday. “I think all the Pacific Northwest people were sad when it left. I loved the games there. I grew up disliking the Sonics very much because I was a Trail Blazer fan, but it was an awesome environment. It’s a city that can really rally around their team.”

Expansion isn’t guaranteed to occur, and any new franchise would likely begin play no earlier than the 2028-29 season.

Nevertheless, reaching this milestone represents major progress and immediately sparked reactions from Las Vegas, Seattle, and throughout the basketball community.

MGM Resorts CEO & President Bill Hornbuckle expressed gratitude to league ownership for their decision regarding Las Vegas.

“It’s only the first step, but it’s a big step,” Hornbuckle stated. “A new team would be great for both locals and visitors, while creating jobs and providing a boost to the economy. … We would welcome the opportunity to work with the NBA on creating an unforgettable fan experience.”

Seattle’s Tod Leiweke — who serves as CEO of the NHL’s Kraken and will lead One Roof Sports and Entertainment as they pursue majority ownership of Climate Pledge Arena — believes “the hardest part of this is now done.”

“We will put together a bid that has it all,” Leiweke declared. “And I would say the most important thing in our bid is the ability to do it and do it well. And that’s going to be very important for the NBA if ultimately they push ahead and want to expand, they’re going to want to make sure that it’s done well, that there’s no drama, that there’s no slips, there’s no mistakes.”

Heat center Bam Adebayo, who dates Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson — the four-time WNBA MVP — has witnessed firsthand the basketball enthusiasm in Las Vegas while attending her games. He believes an NBA franchise wouldn’t diminish the strong support for the Aces.

“Aces fans are really true to the Aces,” Adebayo observed.

Initial feedback indicates widespread support among current NBA players and coaches for league expansion.

“I think we’re adding two good teams, two good markets,” Spoelstra concluded. “It’ll be a big positive for the league.”