Warriors' Steph Curry Names Seattle, Las Vegas, Nashville for Potential New NBA Teams
July 23, 2023
Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry would like to play away games in Seattle, Las Vegas or Nashville in the future.
"Having been around when my dad was playing in the league, and seeing the buzz in Seattle when they were there, I think that would be a good city," Curry said when asked by BuzzFeed which city he would like to see get a new NBA team.
Curry's father, Dell Curry, played in the NBA before the Seattle SuperSonics were relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008.
Curry added that he would also like to see a team join the WNBA's Aces, NFL's Raiders and NHL's Golden Knights in Las Vegas, or potentially see one added in Nashville. Nashville, similarly host to NFL and NHL teams, is also a potential site for a WNBA expansion.
Curry is not the only NBA player interested in seeing a team tip off in Las Vegas. The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James and Chicago Bulls' DeMar DeRozan have also backed the idea of a Vegas expansion team.
The Oak View Group, the company behind the NHL's Seattle Kraken's Climate Pledge Arena, has expressed interest in funding a $10 billion basketball arena project in Las Vegas. Fenway Sports Group, owners of the MLB's Boston Red Sox and NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, has been connected with potentially funding the launch of a Vegas team.
Seattle has also been floated as a potential destination for an expansion team. Mayor Bruce Harrell said in March that the city is positioned "better than any other city in this country" to be the site of the next NBA expansion. The Kraken's new arena has already been used to host several WNBA and NCAA men's basketball contests.
Nashville has received less reported focus from the NBA, but is a popular destination for athletes. According to a June poll of baseball players by The Athletic, almost 70 percent of surveyed players chose Nashville as the best city for an MLB expansion team.
The NBA has not added a franchise since 2004, when the league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats, now the Hornets.
Silver said last year that the NBA "will invariably expand, just not at this moment."
When it does, it is likely the team will grow from 30 to an even 32 teams. With Vegas and Seattle seemingly ready to host NBA games, at least one of Curry's predictions could come true in the near future.