On Thursday evening, Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals took place in Oklahoma City. The Thunder hosted the Pacers, and Indiana surprised OKC with a 110-110 victory.
Prior to Game 1, NBA commissioner Adam Silver had media availability. He was questioned about carrying topics around the league. One of them was the possibility of expanding the league in the future. Speaking to the media, Silver said the current feeling is that the NBA will “explor” expansion this summer.
How quickly will the NBA expand beyond 30 teams?
Latest comments on the Adam Silver expansion. “The current sense is that we need to explore that,” he said further discussion will be held at the board meeting in July.
He also continues to talk about the ideas for expanding Europe. pic.twitter.com/fosflaknux
– Andrew Greif (@Andrewgreif) June 5th, 2025
During media availability prior to Game 1, Adam Silver was asked about the owner’s temperature for the league’s expansion. Silver is meticulous in his words and pays close attention to official statements. The commissioner didn’t want to directly commit to expanding the league. He said there will be a meeting of owners in Las Vegas in July. The expansion of the league is one of several topics.
Adam Silver said the NBA already has a commitment to discuss the topic. He said he feels the committee will direct the NBA and league offices to proceed with the expansion. Commissioner Silver said the NBA recognizes “unfair markets” in the United States and elsewhere. Silver hopes to make expansion decisions in a more formal process. It will be discussed between the league office and the owners committee.
Seattle and Las Vegas are the cities that attracted the most attention for the NBA expansion. From 1967 to 2008, Seattle was home to Supersonics. They were unable to secure a deal for the new arena, and the franchise was moved to Oklahoma City and rebranded to Thunder. Las Vegas has been home to the NBA Summer League since 2004. Vegas could have a professional basketball team in the future. Adam Silver and other league offices will discuss the league’s expansion at their owners’ meeting in July.