It's been 22 years since the NBA added a new franchise but it sounds more and more like expansion is coming. This spring, the NBA Board of Governors approved exploration of expansion to both Seattle and Las Vegas. These new teams could theoretically begin play for the 2028-29 season. There is still a lot to figure out about how the process would actually work — would an expansion draft follow the same rules as in the past? Would adding two new teams lead to conference realignment and perhaps the end of divisions as we know them?
But with recent successful expansion in the WNBA it seems all but certain that this is coming, however the specifics actually work out. But while we're waiting to hear the details, let's take a walk back through the history of expansion in the NBA.
Can you put these NBA expansion teams in order?
How did the NBA get to 30 teams?
Original franchises: The NBA first played under that name in the 1949-1950 season, merging two existing leagues — the BAA and NBL. That first season was played with 17 teams. Six of those franchises folded at the end of that season and just eight are still apart of the modern NBA. Of those eight, the Knicks and Celtics are the only original teams that didn't move cities or change names at least once.
- Minneapolis Lakers (became the Los Angeles Lakers)
- Rochester Royals (became the Sacramento Kings)
- Fort Wayne Pistons (became the Detroit Pistons)
- Chicago Staggs (folded at the end of the season)
- St. Louis Bombers (folded at the end of the season)
- Syracuse Nationals (became the Philadelphia 76ers)
- New York Knicks
- Washington Capitols (folded at the end of the 1951 season)
- Philadelphia Warriors (became the Golden State Warriors)
- Baltimore Bullets (folded at the end of the 1954 season)
- Boston Celtics
- Indianapolis Olympians (folded at the end of the 1953 season)
- Anderson Packers (left the NBA at the end of the 1950 season)
- Tri-Cities Blackhawks (became the Atlanta Hawks)
- Sheboygan Red Skins (folded at the end of the season)
- Waterloo Hawks (folded at the end of the season)
- Denver Nuggets (folded at the end of the season)
Early expansion: Between that 1949-50 season and the ABA merger in 1976, the league cycled through expansion and contraction, with many of those original franchises folding and several others joining and lasting until the present day:
- Chicago Packers joined in 1961 (became the Washington Wizards)
- Chicago Bulls joined in 1966
- Seattle SuperSonics joined in 1967 (became the Oklahoma City Thunder)
- San Diego Rockets joined in 1967 (became the Houston Rockets)
- Milwaukee Buckes joined in 1968
- Phoenix Suns joined in 1968
- Portland Trail Blazers joined in 1970
- Cleveland Cavaliers joined in 1970
- Buffalo Braves joined in 1970 (became the Los Angeles Clippers)
- New Orleans Jazz joined in 1974 (became the Utah Jazz)
ABA merger: In 1976, the ABA merged with the NBA. Two teams — the Kentucky Colonels and the Spirits of St. Louis folded and the players were dispersed with a draft. Four other ABA franchises joined the NBA, bringing the total number of teams up to 22:
- Denver Nuggets
- Indiana Pacers
- San Antonio Spurs
- New York Nets (became the Brooklyn Nets)
Modern expansion and relocation: After the merger, the NBA continued expansion in fits and starts with the final franchise (the Charlotte Bobcats) joining in 2004.
- Dallas Mavericks joined in 1980
- Charlotte Hornets joined in 1988 (became the New Orleans Pelicans)
- Miami Heat joined in 1988
- Orlando Magic joined in 1989
- Minnesota Timberwolves joined in 1989
- Toronto Raptors joined in 1995
- Vancouver Grizzlies joined in 1995 (became the Memphis Grizzlies)
- Charlotte Bobcats joined in 2004 (became the Charlotte Hornets)
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