NBA Commissioner Adam Silver once again offers hope to idea of expansion

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver continues to hint that the possibility of NBA expansion could be on the horizon.

Over the past few years, the idea of the NBA expanding to other cities - and potentially countries - has continued to gain traction. It was always something that was a possibility but it has never been as real as it is at the moment. And NBA Commissioner Adam Silver continues to add fuel to the potential fire of expanding the Association.

Silver noted in recent comments that the plan is to begin discussing the possibility of expansion once media deals are over in their current state. The current NBA media deals end after the 2024-25 NBA season. That means next offseason is when the NBA can start detailing the real possibility of NBA expansion.

Here is exactly what Silver had to say about the possibility of expansion in the not-so-distant future:

""We're not quite done with our media deals yet, but once we are we will turn to consideration around expansion.""

- NBA commissioner Adam Silver

The last time there was expansion in the NBA, the Charlotte Bobcats were introduced into the league. That was in 2004. The Bobcats were rebranded to the Hornets in 2014. The idea of more expansion in the NBA is fun and is about to get more real in the next 12-18 months.

Which cities are first in line if the NBA were to expand?

Based on previous reporting, Seattle and Las Vegas are two cities that many expect to be at the front of the line if the NBA were to expand. Vegas is one of the hottest sports destinations cities in America right now, most recently with the NHL and NFL moving there; it only makes sense for the NBA to also be considering a move toward the space.

Seattle also makes sense as a potential city that the NBA could explore considering its success during the Seattle Supersonics era. There's an argument to be made that the Sonics should've never left Seattle, but that's a different article for another day.

Considering the way Silver continues to hint at the possibility of expansion at some point in the near future, you'd have to think that it's something that will eventually happen. The question is, how many teams will get the nod initially and is there a potential dark horse team that could emerge as a threat to compete against Vegas and Seattle?