NBA Rumors: Adam Silver offers clarity on possible future of NBA expansion

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver offers some much-needed clarity on the possibility of expansion in the Association.

It seems that every offseason, the topic of NBA expansion comes along. And every year, it does feel as if we're getting awfully close to the real possibility of it happening. In fact, just a couple of months ago, NBA commissioner Adam Silver hinted at the idea that the league could be preparing to discuss the idea of expansion. Many were quick to point out that could come as soon as this fall. Even though fall is not technically here, with the start of the new NBA season on the horizon, man assumed that the idea of some NBA expansion news could be coming quickly.

However, at least for now, those expansion enthusiasts will have to continue waiting. According to Silver, the league and the owners are not ready to begin talking about expansion just yet.

"“There was not a lot of discussion in this meeting about expansion, but only largely not for lack of interest, it was that we had said to them that we’re not quite ready.""

- Adam Silver

Is next offseason when we will hear about possible NBA expansion?

If the NBA and the owners aren't ready to talk about expansion right now, you'd have to wonder when that will happen. With the season on the horizon, with training camps just a few short weeks away, I'd imagine that the next time we hear some tangible news about the possibility of expansion is probably next August - once the early offseason flurry of the NBA Draft and Free Agency dies down.

And even then, if there is news on the idea or plan for an expansion team(s), that's probably still a few years away from actually coming to fruition.

It's one thing for Silver to give fans an update on the idea of expansion; it's an entirely different thing for a defined plan to be in place and voted on by the owners and then unearthed to the public. The idea of expansion is extremely fun to talk about and we're probably closer to it actually happening than we've been in years, but it still can't be considered close.

The good news for the NBA is that the product is certainly growing in popularity. And if the league continues on this trajectory, the ground is certainly going to be fertile for expansion. That said, Silver pretty much paid it out honestly - it's probably not close to happening anytime soon.