NBA expansion
Subject in Basketball
NBA expansion has come up in 6 episodes across 2 podcasts in TMT, including The Bill Simmons Podcast, Digital Social Hour. 4 people have made recorded remarks about it.
What people said
Bill SimmonsSportswriter and founder of The Ringer, host of The Bill Simmons Podcast
Simmons said that if the league relocated a team instead of expanding, New Orleans would make more sense to move than Memphis.
“I would move New Orleans if I had to pick a team to move. That would be the one”
The Bill Simmons Podcast: The Giannis Never-Trade and a Mega-Mailbag With Zach Lowe, Plus Wyndham Clark’s Second U.S. Open Title With Joe House (Jun 22, 2026) · Listen from 58:24
Simmons said the leaked expansion story looked like a trial balloon to gauge fan and owner reaction, and that it unfairly raised Seattle fans' expectations.
“mae'n deimlo'n debyg bod nhw'n testio hyn hwn i weld beth yw'r reacsiwn”
The Bill Simmons Podcast: UConn’s Miracle, Weirdest NBA Season Ever, A Scary Playoff Team Draft, and an Iffy Expansion Plan With Zach Lowe (Mar 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:09:34
Simmons doubted any buyer would pay $8 billion for an expansion franchise and argued owners wouldn't dilute their title odds for that amount.
“do you know how fucking hard that is to get $8 billion? Where you'd have to write an $8 billion check for a team?”
The Bill Simmons Podcast: UConn’s Miracle, Weirdest NBA Season Ever, A Scary Playoff Team Draft, and an Iffy Expansion Plan With Zach Lowe (Mar 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:04:32
Spencer HaywoodAmerican former professional basketball player, Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Famer whose Supreme Court case ended the NBA's four-year rule
- Prediction · due Jul 2028
Haywood predicts LeBron James will play in the 2028 Olympics and then join the new Las Vegas team with his sons.
“He's going to play in 28, and then he's going to come here to Las Vegas, play with his sons”
Digital Social Hour: He Took the NBA to the Supreme Court... & Won... | Spencer Haywood | DSH #1955 (May 8, 2026) · Listen from 48:54
Haywood credits his ruling with enabling the NBA to expand from 14 to 30 teams by opening access to younger players.
“from that case, we were able to expand from 14 teams to 30 teams because all of a sudden you had young players who wasn't staying in college”
Digital Social Hour: He Took the NBA to the Supreme Court... & Won... | Spencer Haywood | DSH #1955 (May 8, 2026) · Listen from 10:04
Ryan SmithQualtrics co-founder and owner of the Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth
Smith said he would support expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas as part of the NBA's broader global strategy despite concerns about Vegas's proximity to Utah.
“if Seattle and, and Vegas are part of that bigger picture, like I'll do it”
The Bill Simmons Podcast: Harden’s Moment, an NFL Schedule Glut, Owning the Jazz, and a Boston Sports Check-In—With Bryan Curtis, Bill’s Dad, and Ryan Smith (May 15, 2026) · Listen from 2:38:55
Zach LoweRinger NBA analyst referenced repeatedly
Lowe said nobody is clamoring for more teams and that a 2028-29 expansion timeline is aggressive.
“dwi ddim yn meddwl bod unrhyw un yn clamerio ar gyfer mwy o tîmau”
The Bill Simmons Podcast: UConn’s Miracle, Weirdest NBA Season Ever, A Scary Playoff Team Draft, and an Iffy Expansion Plan With Zach Lowe (Mar 30, 2026) · Listen from 1:10:32
Predictions
- Prediction · due Jul 2028Spencer Haywood
Haywood predicts LeBron James will play in the 2028 Olympics and then join the new Las Vegas team with his sons.
“He's going to play in 28, and then he's going to come here to Las Vegas, play with his sons”
Digital Social Hour: He Took the NBA to the Supreme Court... & Won... | Spencer Haywood | DSH #1955 (May 8, 2026) · Listen from 48:54 · NBA expansion
Coverage over time
Podcasts
- The Bill Simmons Podcast · 5 episodes
- Digital Social Hour · 1 episode
Episodes
Kawhi in Flux, Embiid’s Next Team, Jaylen vs. Advanced Numbers, and a Mini-Mailbag With Joe HouseThe Bill Simmons Podcast · Jul 9, 2026 · 1 h 56 min
Bill Simmons and Joe House discuss the paused Kawhi Leonard trade, Jaylen Brown's poor advanced metrics, a possible Joel Embiid trade, and mailbag questions.
- The Giannis Never-Trade and a Mega-Mailbag With Zach Lowe, Plus Wyndham Clark’s Second U.S. Open Title With Joe House
The Bill Simmons Podcast · Jun 22, 2026 · 1 h 56 min
Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe discuss the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga and a listener mailbag, then Joe House recaps Wyndham Clark's U.S. Open win.
- Harden’s Moment, an NFL Schedule Glut, Owning the Jazz, and a Boston Sports Check-In—With Bryan Curtis, Bill’s Dad, and Ryan Smith
The Bill Simmons Podcast · May 15, 2026 · 2 h 54 min
Bill Simmons previews NBA Game 6s, discusses sports schedule glut with Bryan Curtis, Boston sports with his dad, and Jazz rebuilding with owner Ryan Smith.
He Took the NBA to the Supreme Court... & Won... | Spencer Haywood | DSH #1955Digital Social Hour · May 8, 2026 · 1 h 4 min
Basketball Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood tells Sean Kelly about his Supreme Court fight against the NBA, 1968 Olympic gold, racism, addiction, therapy and family.
- The 2026 Made-Up NBA Awards With Zach Lowe
The Bill Simmons Podcast · Apr 6, 2026 · 2 h 5 min
Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe react to a Nuggets-Spurs overtime thriller, the Lakers' injuries, and hand out their 2026 made-up NBA awards.
- UConn’s Miracle, Weirdest NBA Season Ever, A Scary Playoff Team Draft, and an Iffy Expansion Plan With Zach Lowe
The Bill Simmons Podcast · Mar 30, 2026 · 1 h 45 min
Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe react to UConn's buzzer beater over Duke, draft the scariest NBA playoff teams, and question the league's expansion plan.