THOUGHTS | DRAYMOND GREEN AND THE EXPANSION TEAMS

It seems like the NBA is expanding before the 2020s are over, and finally, we’re going to get the Seattle SuperSonics back. We’re going to see the iconic jerseys again, their super-cool Sasquatch mascot, and maybe they can also reclaim their genealogy from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Yes, Seattle did move to OKC, making the Thunder a technically two-time champion. However, I don’t think OKC would still want that distinction anymore, especially now that Seattle will have its own franchise again, and considering how Sonics fans still cringe at the team for leaving town.

Maybe the Sonics could even host Kevin Durant’s final season as a full-circle moment.

Now, as for Las Vegas, I think they deserve a team as well. Yes, their industry has been hurt by online gambling, but this is a chance for the city to become more of a traditional sports city, like Chicago, Miami, or Boston. They will still have tourism, of course, but they will also have a basketball franchise, which would complete their pro sports bundle.

The Vegas Golden Knights officially joined the NHL in 2017. The NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders moved from Oakland in 2020. The MLB’s Oakland Athletics have already dropped Oakland as their host city and temporarily moved to West Sacramento while waiting for their Las Vegas stadium to be completed around 2027 or 2028. On top of that, the Las Vegas Aces—three-time WNBA champions and home to four-time MVP A’ja Wilson—have been in the city since 2018. It simply makes too much sense for Las Vegas to have an NBA team.

Yes, they will still be the on-site leader in gambling, but now they will also be a hub for major sports.

That said, I can understand where Draymond Green is coming from. On his podcast, he mentioned that the talent pool could be diluted by the addition of two new NBA teams. As it stands, there are already teams dealing with players resting or sitting out, and the Golden State Warriors are no different, with several key players injured.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuBh2dos_ak

This has always been a problem with expansion teams, dating back to the old days: new teams often become the league’s whipping boys. Whether it’s the NBA or the PBA, the pattern is the same.

If you look at the last wave of expansion teams, Portland remains the fastest to win a championship, capturing a title in 1977, while the Clippers have yet to win one in more than five decades. Then there are teams like the Atlanta Hawks—then the St. Louis Hawks—who won their last title in 1957 and haven’t reached the Finals since 1961, and the Sacramento Kings—formerly the Rochester Royals—who won in 1951 and have not returned to the Finals since.

Again, looking at the Golden State narrative, Steph Curry’s injury often opens the door for another player to rise. Draymond Green himself got his break when David Lee went down, just as Jordan Poole did when Klay Thompson got injured. The NBA is a league where the best players have to fight tooth and nail for a roster spot. As much as I’d like players to achieve instant stardom the way LeBron James did, most superstars earn their status by seizing the opportunities given to them. Even Curry had to claw his way to his current standing, and that journey ultimately paved the way for the Warriors’ championship dynasty.

We often mock the mediocrity of Terrafirma, Blackwater, NorthPort, and even NLEX in the PBA, yet the NBA also has franchises that haven’t won a championship in decades.

THE LAST 16 NBA FRANCHISES

TEAM	DEBUT	1ST TITLE	1ST FINALS	YEARS IN NBA	YEARS TO WAIT
L.A. CLIPPERS (BUFFALO/SAN DIEGO)	1970	NONE	NONE	56	56
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS	1970	2016	2007	56	46
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS	1970	1977	1977	56	7
UTAH JAZZ (NEW ORLEANS)	1974	NONE	1997	52	52
INDIANA PACERS	1976	NONE	2000	50	50
BROOKLYN NETS (NEW JERSEY)	1976	NONE	2002	50	50
DENVER NUGGETS	1976	2023	2023	50	47
SAN ANTONIO SPURS	1976	1999	1999	50	23
DALLAS MAVERICKS	1980	2011	2006	46	31
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (CHARLOTTE)	1988	NONE	NONE	38	38
MIAMI HEAT	1988	2006	2006	38	18
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES	1989	NONE	NONE	37	37
ORLANDO MAGIC	1989	NONE	1995	37	37
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (VANCOUVER)	1995	NONE	NONE	31	31
TORONTO RAPTORS	1995	2019	2019	31	24
CHARLOTTE HORNETS (BOBCATS)	2004	NONE	NONE	22	22

So in this list, you won’t see Seattle or Oklahoma City. That’s because the Seattle franchise dates back to 1967. And while the team did move to OKC in 2008—and the original city wants nothing to do with that chapter—they still share the same franchise origins. This is different from the new Seattle team that is expected to join the Association in the 2028–29 season, which will be treated as an entirely new expansion franchise.

Anyway, at the same time, Stephen A. Smith is right in saying that all a player really needs is an avenue to showcase his talent. The problem is that not every player entering the league is a generational talent. Many are just one draft pick away from losing their spot and eventually becoming journeyman role players.

People remember Shaquille O’Neal as the face of the Orlando Magic, but few remember Terry Catledge, who led the team in scoring during its first season. Tony Campbell averaged 23.2 points per game in Minnesota’s inaugural season, only to see his numbers drop to 7.7 when he moved to New York three years later. Vancouver’s first star was Bryant Reeves, but even he failed to pan out, and the franchise arguably found more stability after relocating to Memphis.

This is also why I was never a fan of expansion in the PBA, especially with the MPBL already existing. In terms of finances and opportunities, the MPBL has reached a point where it can compete with the PBA. One could even argue that some of the best players are no longer in the PBA because once they become benchwarmers, they can move to the MPBL and regain playing time and satisfaction. The NBA has a similar system, with players going overseas if the G League cannot meet their financial expectations.

In terms of opportunities, I agree with Stephen A. Smith. In some ways, I also understand Kendrick Perkins’ stance, though I don’t agree with expanding beyond 32 teams.

At some point, expansion further waters down the league. With only one championship each year and with players increasingly controlling their destinations, smaller-market teams will find it even harder to compete.

Right now, for example, there is constant speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving Milwaukee, and we’ve seen similar conversations surrounding Nikola Jokić in the past. The usual band-aid solution is for stars to switch teams, and when five to eight big-market teams are competing against more than twenty small-market teams, the imbalance becomes obvious. Russell Westbrook is a prime example of a superstar who now moves from team to team after once enjoying a long tenure with a single franchise, and we’ve also seen players like Bradley Beal go from star status to being viewed as expendable.

So yes, opportunities increase with expansion, but there are also clear pros and cons. For now, I think the NBA is justified in adding two new teams—but for me, that’s mainly because I want Seattle to get its team back and for Las Vegas to have an NBA franchise in its sports landscape, finally.

That said, I still completely agree with Draymond Green’s concern about the league’s talent being diluted.