The WNBA has been expanding at a rapid pace, with two expansion teams set to join the league in 2026 and more slated to arrive before the turn of the century. Now, the NBA is looking to grow as well, according to ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania.

“Breaking: The NBA’s Board of Governors has approved a vote for the league to explore bids and applicants for expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, sources tell ESPN. A bidding process is expected to generate offers in the $7-10 billion range for each team,” Charania reported on Wednesday.

Breaking: The NBA's Board of Governors has approved a vote for the league to explore bids and applicants for expansion teams exclusively in Las Vegas and Seattle, sources tell ESPN. A bidding process is expected to generate offers in the $7-10 billion range for each team. pic.twitter.com/yEaLPjnTVf

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 25, 2026

It’s a prudent move for the NBA, whose viewership was up 27% versus the same point last year in December.

LeBron is out

It was previously rumored that Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James would be interested in joining the ownership group of the Las Vegas franchise, but last week the NBA’s all-time leading scorer officially took his name out of the running.

After saying “I want a team in Vegas. I want the team in Vegas.” in a 2022 episode of The Shop, James has since changed his tune.

“Not at all,” the Lakers forward said of any intention to pursue an ownership bid after scoring 30 points in a win over the Houston Rockets.

Notably, James does have ties to the Project B league in development.