Adam Silver Updates NBA Expansion Timeline Amid Las Vegas, Seattle, Mexico City Buzz

NBA commissioner Adam Silver provided a timeline and update on league expansion during Tuesday's edition of the Pat McAfee Show (25-second mark).

"We're still a few seasons away from actual expansion taking place, but as you said, we've been public about the fact that we're looking closely at Las Vegas and Seattle," Silver said.

"Las Vegas seems to have an insatiable appetite for sports and entertainment. Several groups now are thinking of even building a brand-new arena in town, which at least the presentation is maybe the most spectacular arena ever.

"Seattle has a great arena, there's a great NBA tradition there, so we're looking closely at returning to Seattle.

"I've mentioned maybe down the road, there's Mexico City, largest city in North America, burgeoning a huge basketball base. Fans in Mexico, large Mexican-American population. So a bunch of different opportunities out there, and discussions are ongoing about Las Vegas and Seattle right now."

According to Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal , there is a leading group for a Las Vegas team:

"The bid group including Nancy Walton Laurie her husband, Bill Laurie, and Silver Lake co-CEO and Raiders minority owner Egon Durban, who recently joined the group, is the heavy favorite to land Las Vegas' NBA team, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Review-Journal . The source is not authorized to comment on the situation."

It seems to be a matter of when—not if—Vegas will get a team. Over the past decade, Vegas has added four pro sports teams in the Aces, Golden Knights and Raiders. The Athletics are on the way soon, and an as-of-now unnamed PWHL team is as well.

There seems to be some murkiness regarding Seattle, although the city has been talked about ad nauseam as an expansion destination and a place for the NBA to return since the SuperSonics left for Oklahoma City in 2008. Seattle has a passionate sports fanbase that absolutely deserves an NBA team.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst , "NBA commissioner Adam Silver appears to be upping the ante on the leverage game involving the possible future of the Seattle SuperSonics, multiple ownership sources told ESPN.

"We say 'possible' with care because Silver left owners with the impression that a Seattle expansion team was no longer a lock at last month's board of governors meeting. Silver even reintroduced the idea of Mexico City as a possible destination.

"At the meeting, owners were told about at least one Mexico City-based group that has approached NBA expansion partner PJT Partners with a plan about launching a team and developing a new arena district there that apparently has caught the league's attention, several sources said."

Windhorst added that the league is "full-go" on expanding to Las Vegas and the league "does not seem happy" with bids from groups who want to bring a team to Seattle. Time could change that, though.

Mexico City has a population of just over 9.2 million (with a metro area of 21.8 million), so that could be an intriguing option. The NBA has previously placed a G League team there (Mexico City Capitanes), and the league is set to host a game on Nov. 7 when the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers play.

Ultimately, NBA expansion would take a few years to actually come to fruition, but it's on the horizon. This would mark the first time the league expanded since the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league in 2004.