NBA Expansion is coming – how will it affect the Utah Jazz?

Adam Silver confirmed the NBA’s expansion plans. How does that affect the Utah Jazz?

Confirming what he had spoken on in July, NBA commissioner Adam Silver advised on Inside the NBA that expansion will be next on the agenda after the league’s media rights deal is extended beyond the 2024-25 season.

Specifically, Silver has mentioned Las Vegas and Seattle as markets that the NBA has an interest in. As both of these cities would naturally fit in the Western Conference, how will the new teams be incorporated?

(teams in bold are moves from one division or conference to another; teams underlined are the expansion cities/franchises):

WESTERN CONFERENCE (realignment proposal)

PACIFIC
LA Lakers
LA Clippers
Golden State
Sacramento
Seattle

NORTHWEST
Denver
Las Vegas
Phoenix
Portland
Utah

SOUTHWEST
Dallas
Houston
Memphis
New Orleans
Oklahoma City
San Antonio

EASTERN CONFERENCE (realignment proposal)

SOUTHEAST
Atlanta
Charlotte
Miami
Orlando
Washington

CENTRAL
Chicago
Cleveland
Detroit
Indiana
Milwaukee
Minnesota

ATLANTIC
Boston
Brooklyn
New York
Philadelphia
Toronto

The potential addition of teams in Las Vegas and Seattle will impact the Jazz in a few ways – new division opponents, an easier path to the playoffs for a few years, and the potential loss of players to an expansion draft.

For the Utah Jazz the realignment of divisions has impacted them before, being part of the NBA’s Central Division during their New Orleans days, then the Midwest Division after the move to Utah in 1979, before joining the newly minted Northwest Division for the 2004-05 season.

By getting an expansion team in their division, the Jazz would see the Oklahoma City Thunder (an up-and-coming team ahead of them in the rebuild process) move to the Southwest Division with Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Memphis, and San Antonio. It would also see the Minnesota Timberwolves move conferences, going east and joining the Central Division in a move that will save them a lot of air miles.

Presumably, this gives the Utah Jazz a slightly easier road in their return to playoff contention, as they get more games against two expansion conference opponents instead of two playoff-level teams.

Also, to create 2 new teams means an expansion draft. Historically, NBA teams are allowed to protect a certain number of players (the last draft in 2004 allowed teams to protect their top 8).

With the increase in roster size and the addition of the G-League (two-way contracts), the process may be slightly altered this time (think 8 players protected plus 1 two-way contract protected).

The Utah Jazz would have Denver and Portland as familiar foes in the updated Northwest Division, as well as Phoenix and the Las Vegas expansion team. Only Portland would be geographically a bit removed, as the other Northwest teams would be very close to each other.

A lot will happen between now and when the NBA proceeds with the expansion process. But one thing is for certain – there will be change – and it could be beneficial to the Utah Jazz.