The NBA’s Board of Governors are scheduled to meet in July and it’s possible the league and its team owners could decide at that time to move forward on expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle, writes ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. In March, the Board of Governors voted in favor of exploring the possibility of expanding to those two cities — since then, the league has been vetting the Vegas and Seattle markets and gauging interest from potential bidders.
If the NBA continues to move forward on the expansion process, the next steps would likely involve setting up a timetable and determining the bidding process for new owners, according to Windhorst, who suggests both things could happen in the not-too-distant future.
Further down the line, the league would need to clarify the rules for an expansion draft and determine which of the Western Conference teams would move to the East, Windhorst continues, noting that the Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Grizzlies would be part of that conversation.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic has revealed his top 25 free agents for the 2026 offseason, based on his BORD$ formula. Hollinger’s list, which includes restricted free agents and veterans with team or player options, is topped by Pistons center Jalen Duren (RFA), with Cavaliers guard James Harden (player option), Lakers guard Austin Reaves (player option), Thunder big man Isaiah Hartenstein (team option), and Lakers forward LeBron James rounding out the top five.
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic shares the latest on Terry Rozier‘s legal situation, reporting that the NBA and Hornets told federal prosecutors that they would prefer the veteran guard to remain prohibited from contacting current and former members of the Hornets. Rozier and his lawyer have asked a federal judge to remove those bond restrictions, arguing that they “substantially diminish” his odds of being able to sign another NBA contract.
- Zach Kram of ESPN hands out his “All-Playoff” awards, picking two teams of five players apiece to honor the top performers of the NBA postseason. Kram’s first team is heavy on Knicks, with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and OG Anunoby joined by Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
- Despite winning a title days ago, the Knicks are only considered the fourth-best bet to win a championship in 2027, according to Doug Greenberg of ESPN, who notes that the Spurs, Thunder, and Celtics are listed ahead of New York among next season’s favorites by oddsmakers.
- Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report considers the best and worst potential landing spots for several big-name trade candidates, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown.
