Will the NBA expand to Seattle and Las Vegas?

The National Basketball Association is not going to expand its operations to Seattle and Las Vegas, at least not in the next five to six years.

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Possible involvement of LeBron?

Bill Simmons of The Ringer, a sports website and podcast network, had said he had some information that the league was going to expand to the two cities, and mentioned that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James could be involved with the ownership group of the Las Vegas team.

“I have some intel,” said Simmons on his podcast. “I think the leading contender to get that Vegas team is that Fenway Sports Group… They’ve been circling different NBA teams for a while.

“If I had to bet on a LeBron scenario, it would be for him to be involved with whatever happens with that. Where he is the point man of that Vegas team… I think that is scenario A for LeBron. He wants to be an owner. I think he wants to run one of these teams,” he added.

NBA: No truth to speculation

A spokesperson for the NBA however flatly denied Simmons’ statements on KING 5, a TV station based in Seattle, saying, “There is no truth to it.”

Las Vegas appears to be an easy choice for expansion, with the city already having hockey and football teams. But if NBA history is to be considered, Seattle would have the edge.

The Seattle SuperSonics were in existence for 40 years until they relocated to Oklahoma City to become Oklahoma City Thunder before the 2008-2009 season. The team moved after it failed to raise public funds to build a new Seattle arena.

Despite the NBA’s denial, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell remains hopeful about the possibility of having a team again.

“The odds are high. We’re very intentional about it. I chase down rumors and I chase down actual people in a position to make that happen. I feel good about our opportunity,” the mayor said.