Las Vegas is set for a historic sports trifecta in 2028, with the Athletics’ new ballpark opening, the NCAA men’s Final Four at Allegiant Stadium, and the likely arrival of an NBA expansion team. The NBA Board of Governors is expected to vote next week in New York to explore Las Vegas and Seattle as expansion markets, with a potential franchise awarded as soon as July during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Athletics’ $2 billion ballpark on the Strip is scheduled to open in spring 2028, while the Final Four is slated for early April at Allegiant Stadium. If NBA expansion is approved, the new team could begin play in the 2028-29 season, with the first games expected in October, just before the sixth Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.
Three ownership groups are vying for a Las Vegas NBA team: the MAGI, led by Magic Johnson; Fenway Sports Group, which includes LeBron James; and a group led by Golden Knights owner Bill Foley. Gov. Joe Lombardo met with Johnson last month and held a Zoom call with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver last week.
The potential expansion fee for each team is rumored to be between $7 billion and $10 billion. Where the team would play remains uncertain, with T-Mobile Arena a possibility if it undergoes hundreds of millions in renovations. Oak View Group and LVXP are also considering building new arenas.
Las Vegas would become the fifth city to host all five major professional sports leagues (NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA) after adding the Golden Knights in 2017, the Raiders in 2020, and the Aces in 2018. The addition of the NBA and MLB would add 122 regular-season event days (81 for baseball, 41 for basketball) to the city’s sports calendar.
Sports tourism is a major driver: 3% of Las Vegas visitors last year cited a sporting event as their primary reason to visit, and those visitors spend an average of $452 per event. The NFL draws 50% or more out-of-state attendees for 10 games at Allegiant Stadium, while the NHL accounts for 41 home games per season.
The NBA will likely revisit expansion draft rules, as there hasn’t been an expansion draft since 2004 when the Charlotte Bobcats were added. With two new Western Conference teams, the NBA would need to move two teams to the Eastern Conference to balance at 16 teams each. The Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves are considered prime candidates for relocation.
