The NBA is set to vote during its Board of Governors meeting later this month to consider adding two expansion teams to the league in Las Vegas and Seattle. Both teams will begin play during the 2028–2029 season.
There's a good chance the proposal is agreed to, meaning there will be a conference realignment when it comes to other teams. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, there are already two teams being mentioned as possible options to move to the Eastern Conference.
Charania wrote, "NBA officials expect that either the Minnesota Timberwolves or the Memphis Grizzlies will move East and realign the conferences with a 16-16 conference, when Seattle and Las Vegas become Western teams."
It makes perfect sense to move the Grizzlies to the Eastern Conference, simply because they are already on this side of the field. They're a team that belongs in the Western Conference, but is nowhere near the West. This would be a good sign for them to relocate to the East, as they would not have to travel far all the time, as they always have to do.
As far as the Timberwolves are concerned, this seems like another good option to head east, as they are more in the northeastern region of the US.
It will be interesting to see what the league agrees to, but first, the vote must be in favor of adding expansion teams. This could be a major win for the league, as industry executives have presented offers in the range of $7–10 billion for each team, and it is estimated that the Las Vegas and Seattle markets will be part of the NBA's top eight revenue generators.
Following the first vote, there will be a possible final vote at the end of the year to finalize the transaction for the 32 teams. 23 out of 30 governors will have to vote in favor in both voting rounds.
