The NBA’s roll of the dice in Las Vegas could be delayed a year later than expected, with an expansion team potentially looking at a debut for the 2029-30 season, The Athletic reported Friday.
Previous reports indicated a Las Vegas expansion team could be ready to take the floor in the 2028-29 campaign, along with another expansion team in Seattle.
Earlier this week, ESPN reported that the league was reviewing bids for a Las Vegas expansion team from three potential ownership groups in Nancy Walton Laurie and Bill Laurie; Steve Apostolopoulos and Marc Lasry; and Bill Foley and Jerry Colangelo.
Friday’s report indicated that Las Vegas’ 2028-29 debut has not been completely ruled out.
While the NBA would like to have an expansion plan finalized by the end of December, a decision on the ownership group of the Las Vegas franchise could come by the end of November. The two bidding groups not chosen for the Las Vegas franchise could be welcomed into the bidding for the Seattle franchise.
Also to be decided is whether the Las Vegas expansion team will call the existing T-Mobile Arena its home or if a new arena would be built. The existing venue is home to the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights but would need an upgrade worth as much as $400 million to meet NBA standards, according to the report.
