Vegas to build NBA size arena

Ale Xander

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I feel this deserves its own thread. Feel free to move, mods.

View: https://twitter.com/jgolden5/status/1509098457855840256?s=21


Breaking on CNBC: Tim Leiweke's Oak View Group announces they have acquired 25 acres of land in Las Vegas to build a new $3B sports and entertainment district. This will include a 20K capacity arena, casino and hotel project.

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This is too big for the Rebels, IMHO. They have 2 concert arenas already. I think they're courting an NBA team.
Question is who?
Expansion?
 

benhogan

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The Lebronettes.

Vegas is close enough to Bron's Brentwood estate

NBA retirement gift to the GOAT

Fenway group foots the bill with LBJ as the managing partner
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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I would guess that Seattle and Las Vegas are the next two expansion teams. With Vancouver as a dark horse. Pittsburgh and Kansas City being extremely dark horses. After these cities, I'm not sure where the NBA would expand to or threaten to move an existing team to next. Cincinnati? San Diego?
 

Ale Xander

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D'oh switched up number of teams for NHL/NBA.Oops.
Seattle should no doubt be next, but yeah NBA needs 2 more for symmetry.

I'd put one of the 2 Missouri cities as 3rd shot (dark horse)
 

Cesar Crespo

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I would guess that Seattle and Las Vegas are the next two expansion teams. With Vancouver as a dark horse. Pittsburgh and Kansas City being extremely dark horses. After these cities, I'm not sure where the NBA would expand to or threaten to move an existing team to next. Cincinnati? San Diego?
I can't see the NBA going back to Vancouver. IIRC, Vancouver didn't really support the team at all and most of Canada latched on Toronto as the Canadian team.

This was also quite awhile ago so I could have my facts wrong.
 

Kliq

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Is the T-Mobile Arena not sufficient for NBA basketball? It's only 6 years old.
Yeah, I don't think it necessarily means an NBA Team is coming in, more just like another arena. The Golden Knights seat 17,500 for their games at T-Mobile; building an expensive new arena would seem unnecessary if you are an owner looking to join the NBA. If anything it seems like a replacement for the Thomas and Mack Center, which is also around 18,000 seats and is 40 years old.
 

bankshot1

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Seattle and LV seem logical cities for NBA expansion, but what about Montreal? I would think an affluent and large city like Montreal (~4 million MSA) would love an NBA franchise. Or are there too many bi-lingual/cultural issues to shy away from?
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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I can't see the NBA going back to Vancouver. IIRC, Vancouver didn't really support the team at all and most of Canada latched on Toronto as the Canadian team.

This was also quite awhile ago so I could have my facts wrong.
I could be wrong, but I thought that I read in the last year or so that the NBA knows it mucked up the first Vancouver expansion and wanted a chance at a redo.

Vancouver would be a really good NBA city with the right ownership.
 

Swedgin

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On a pod earlier this month, Simmons "reported" (not sure what the right term is - he made it clear he was not just speculating idly and welcome the aggregators to run with it) that the NBA would expand by 2, that Las Vegas and Seattle would be the 2 and the Lebron/FSG would be one of the ownership groups.
 

benhogan

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On a pod earlier this month, Simmons "reported" (not sure what the right term is - he made it clear he was not just speculating idly and welcome the aggregators to run with it) that the NBA would expand by 2, that Las Vegas and Seattle would be the 2 and the Lebron/FSG would be one of the ownership groups.
Bron is getting a team. I wouldn't be surprised if Magic eventually gets one (ie San Diego) minority ownership has to be a priority of the league.

As far as new cities, just use other cities with successful Pro teams (Seattle, KC, St Louis, Cincy, Tampa)

Didn't realize how large Louisville (29th largest city in the US) was for that basketball-crazed state, not a bad idea. They already have an arena with sponsors.
 

axx

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On a pod earlier this month, Simmons "reported" (not sure what the right term is - he made it clear he was not just speculating idly and welcome the aggregators to run with it) that the NBA would expand by 2, that Las Vegas and Seattle would be the 2 and the Lebron/FSG would be one of the ownership groups.
There's no way the NBA would let Lebron be part of an ownership group while he was still playing, would they?
 

scottyno

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Yeah, I don't think it necessarily means an NBA Team is coming in, more just like another arena. The Golden Knights seat 17,500 for their games at T-Mobile; building an expensive new arena would seem unnecessary if you are an owner looking to join the NBA. If anything it seems like a replacement for the Thomas and Mack Center, which is also around 18,000 seats and is 40 years old.
They aren't spending $3b to replace Thomas and Mack. They think something is coming to Vegas.
 

HomeRunBaker

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There's no way the NBA would let Lebron be part of an ownership group while he was still playing, would they?
Players aren’t allowed to hold ownership in a team. The way LeBron is talking about playing his final year with his son it doesn’t appear that he’s going to go the Tom Brady route and go until he’s 45+. By the time Vegas is a go he’ll likely be past his sons rookie year even if it’s as a token Monte Towe to LeBron’s David Thompson. #agedmyself
 

HomeRunBaker

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There's no way the NBA would let Lebron be part of an ownership group while he was still playing, would they?
Players aren’t allowed to hold ownership in a team. The way LeBron is talking about playing his final year with his son it doesn’t appear that he’s going to go the Tom Brady route and go until he’s 45+. By the time Vegas is a go he’ll likely be past his sons rookie year even if it’s as a token Monte Towe to LeBron’s David Thompson. #agedmyself


They aren't spending $3b to replace Thomas and Mack. They KNOW something is coming to Vegas.
Fixed it for ya.
 

the moops

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NBA teams wouldn't give up the revenue for home games, but it would be fun if they just scheduled 4 or 5 games a week in Vegas and teams both played as away teams.

And to take it even further - have the NBA finals there.
 

HomeRunBaker

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NBA teams wouldn't give up the revenue for home games, but it would be fun if they just scheduled 4 or 5 games a week in Vegas and teams both played as away teams.

And to take it even further - have the NBA finals there.
I wouldn’t rule out a scenario where an arena is ready before the league expands (or the less likely, relocates) and a couple games are played here where the home team is compensated for their loss of revenue.
 

ugmo33

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Seattle and LV seem logical cities for NBA expansion, but what about Montreal? I would think an affluent and large city like Montreal (~4 million MSA) would love an NBA franchise. Or are there too many bi-lingual/cultural issues to shy away from?
That would be awesome but there's no way the city or province would pony up anything for an arena...they just finished paying off the '76 Olympics. There seems to be growing interest in basketball here with the Raps #1 and I think the Celtics are #2. I definitely think there's room for another team but I still see a lot of Expos gear around town
 

Ale Xander

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That would be awesome but there's no way the city or province would pony up anything for an arena...they just finished paying off the '76 Olympics. There seems to be growing interest in basketball here with the Raps #1 and I think the Celtics are #2. I definitely think there's room for another team but I still see a lot of Expos gear around town
Do they play any Raptors exhibition games there?

What's the largest bball court there currently?
 

HomeRunBaker

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lexrageorge

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Remember back in the 80's when the Celtics played 2 home games per year at the Hartford Civics Center? What was that about?
Neutral site games were the norm from the league's early days right up through the 70's and 80's. Larry Bird has his 60 point game against the Hawks in New Orleans.

There is zero chance the NBA Finals would be relocated to a neutral site. But I can see some regular season games being played there periodically until a team makes Vegas its permanent home.
 

Devizier

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I would guess that Seattle and Las Vegas are the next two expansion teams. With Vancouver as a dark horse. Pittsburgh and Kansas City being extremely dark horses. After these cities, I'm not sure where the NBA would expand to or threaten to move an existing team to next. Cincinnati? San Diego?
Not a chance in Pittsburgh. Basketball is dead as a door nail here.
 

ugmo33

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Do they play any Raptors exhibition games there?

What's the largest bball court there currently?
They play preseason games in the Bell Centre (home of the Habs) almost every year which would definitely be big enough for an NBA team and is in a great location, but I always assume new team=new arena, which is something I've never completely understood.
 

Humphrey

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Can't see them going back to somewhere that had a failed team except Seattle, which was more of a facility dispute than a support issue.

So, Vegas and Seattle.

St. Louis and San Diego running neck-and-neck for which city has had the most teams leave there. Browns, Cardinals (football), Rams, Hawks, Spirits, Chargers, Rockets, Conquistadores, Clippers....did I miss any?
 

j-man

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it has to be vegas and seattle

st louis is all baseball and hockey louisvillie loves their college baksetball too much san diego wouild be good for a team like the magic to move to
 

Devizier

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Vegas and Seattle also happen to have a disproportionate number of extremely wealthy residents available to splurge on suites and other profitable luxuries.
 

OurF'ingCity

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Vegas and Seattle also happen to have a disproportionate number of extremely wealthy residents available to splurge on suites and other profitable luxuries.
This is a huge part of why somewhere like Louisville would never be an option, and why teams are leaving even places like St. Louis. If the league wants to expand, Seattle and LV just make too much sense. Put them in the Western Conference and move Memphis or Minnesota to the East.
 

JM3

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This is a huge part of why somewhere like Louisville would never be an option, and why teams are leaving even places like St. Louis. If the league wants to expand, Seattle and LV just make too much sense. Put them in the Western Conference and move Memphis or Minnesota to the East.
They'd have to do something about the divisions, too. Go NFL & have 8 4s, or go 4 8s?

Webp.net-resizeimage-100.jpg

Right now they have 6 5s. I don't like the idea of unbalanced divisions.
 

Toe Nash

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Expansion is good. Every league is overdue for expansion; players are getting better and better, you are getting more players from around the world and there are enough fans. Really just the owners' cartels keep it from happening. The NBA hasn't expanded in almost 20 years and the US population has grown by 50 million people or almost 20% in that time, so that would suggest an additional 4-5 teams. Ditto for the NFL and even longer for MLB. Yeah people have other things to do and teams weren't selling out every game in 1996, but simple supply and demand means prices for tickets have increased dramatically as we all know.

The real untapped markets are additional teams in the NY and LA areas (again, in all sports) but the existing owners can veto that. Add one team to Southern CT / northern NJ, one team to Anaheim and then one to Seattle and LV and that would be about right without stretching any marginal markets.
 

JM3

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Not sure how to best parcel this out...

Let's try...

WEST
Seattle
Blazers
Kings
Warriors

Lakers
Clippers
Suns
Vegas

Jazz
Nuggets
Wolves
Thunder

Spurs
Mavs
Rockets
Grizzlies

EAST
Bulls
Bucks
Pacers
Pistons

Celtics
Knicks
Nets
76ers

Heat
Magic
Hawks
Pelicans

Raptors
Wizards
Cavs
Hornets
 

JM3

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& if I was to name those in order...

Northwest
Southwest
Mountain
South

North
Northeast
Southeast
Leftovers
 

JM3

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I would just get rid of divisions entirely. They serve almost no purpose in today's NBA.
I guess it just depends on how balanced of a schedule you want & if you want to foster local rivalries.

82 games
32 against other conference (16x2)
50 against your conference (15x3.3?)

With 8 divisions you could play 5x against your division & 3x against everyone else except 1 team you'd play twice (or an 83 game schedule, or 4x against your division, 3x against your conference, 2x against other conference = 80 game schedule).

With 4 8-team divisions you could do 4/3/2 in 84 games...

Honestly if I was doing a major overhaul I'd just use the opportunity to scrap the whole system & seed the top 14 without regard to conference & keep a 4 team play-in (so 2 less teams make play-in but same overall concept).
 

sezwho

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Expansion is good. Every league is overdue for expansion; players are getting better and better, you are getting more players from around the world and there are enough fans. Really just the owners' cartels keep it from happening. The NBA hasn't expanded in almost 20 years and the US population has grown by 50 million people or almost 20% in that time, so that would suggest an additional 4-5 teams. Ditto for the NFL and even longer for MLB. Yeah people have other things to do and teams weren't selling out every game in 1996, but simple supply and demand means prices for tickets have increased dramatically as we all know.

The real untapped markets are additional teams in the NY and LA areas (again, in all sports) but the existing owners can veto that. Add one team to Southern CT / northern NJ, one team to Anaheim and then one to Seattle and LV and that would be about right without stretching any marginal markets.

I’m almost invariably opposed to expansion of my favorite sports and view it typically as a cash out for current owners at the cost of talent dilution and long term health, but this is a pretty compelling argument for a couple teams in this case.