The NBA has been widely expected to expand to Seattle and Las Vegas in the coming years, which could be timed with the announcement of the league's next broadcast right deals.
While the league currently generates approximately $3 billion annually in its annual national broadcast revenues, it could hit $9 billion with its next deals, which would be split to approximately $300 million for every team if the league stays at 30 teams.
But expansion revenue would offer every ownership group an instant influx of cash to help offset the losses caused by the pandemic and the dip in Chinese broadcast revenues.
“It’s fully baked,” says one source of expansion.
A year ago, Adam Silver suggested reports of a $2.5 billion expansion fee as "very low."
Sources say the NBA has prospective investors for expansion ready.