Las Vegas NBA ownership groups, arena projects aplenty ahead of September league meeting

Editor’s note: This is simply a regular Sunday diagnostic to wrapper up quality and developments successful the NBA’s imaginable enlargement to Las Vegas and Seattle by the 2028-29 season. It has been a quiet week on the Las Vegas NBA expansion front, as various ownership groups continue to prepare their bid proposals for the league. The next official update on the expansion process is expected at a September gathering of the NBA’s board of governors in New York. After that meeting, where several topics—including expansion—will be addressed, Commissioner Adam Silver is scheduled to speak with the media to provide further details. The exact date of the session has not yet been made public. By the time the meeting occurs next month, fewer than three months will remain in the year. Silver has previously stated that he hopes to have an answer on whether the league will expand by the end of 2026. Consequently, there is anticipation that the September session will yield a clearer picture of the process’s status and how many ownership groups remain in contention for a Las Vegas and Seattle franchise. The league could choose to add a team in both Las Vegas and Seattle, add a team in only one of the markets, or decide not to expand at this time. Any new teams would be slated to begin play for the 2028‑29 season. To date, five ownership groups have been publicly identified as interested in securing a Las Vegas expansion franchise since the start of the year. A consortium led by billionaire businessman Joshua Kushner and former Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger withdrew from the race this month after they acquired a controlling interest in the Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5 billion. The MAGI Group, which was headed by former NBA star Earvin “Magic” Johnson, had expressed interest earlier in the year but has been silent in recent months. The remaining groups include the Las Vegas Jacks consortium, led by former Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and Arizona Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo; the Vegas Wants the NBA group, headed by Golden Knights owner Bill Foley; and a partnership featuring Walmart heiress Nancy Laurie Walton and her husband Bill Laurie. At a July press conference following meetings of the NBA’s board of governors, Silver noted that not all groups interested in Las Vegas and Seattle have been made public. Approximately a dozen arena proposals are currently being pitched for the NBA expansion effort, with a strong possibility of additional projects being announced in the coming months. One such proposal involves the Jacks group; an individual familiar with the matter told the Review‑Journal that the group is collaborating with renowned designer David Manica, whose firm, Manica Architecture, has contributed to the design of several sports venues, including Allegiant Stadium, on their plans for a Las Vegas NBA arena. With numerous moving parts and uncertainties surrounding the NBA expansion process in Las Vegas and Seattle, many expect that Silver’s September briefing will help clarify where the initiative stands. The league officially began exploring Las Vegas and Seattle as potential expansion sites in March.