It's been more than two decades since the last expansion team joined the NBA. Now, after years of back and forth, the Cleveland Cavaliers may finally get two new foes to beat in the 2028-29 season.
According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, Seattle and Las Vegas are expected to get new franchises. Of course, that will force the league to re-arrange the conferences as currently constructed.
"Executives across the NBA expect either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies to move to the East to realign conferences with 16 each when Seattle and Las Vegas become West teams," Charania wrote.
Post-NBA expansion divisions could benefit the Cavaliers
While getting Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves in the East might not be great news, the new geographical arrangement could actually benefit the Cavaliers.
If the NBA were to shift to four teams per division, geographically, it would make the most sense to have the Cavs join the Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Washington Wizards. That would leave the Timberwolves with the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and Detroit Pistons in another division.
Here’s one idea on how the NBA divisions and conferences might look when Las Vegas and Seattle are added. pic.twitter.com/AfFXPIo0pz
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) March 16, 2026
The Cavs can't bank on the Wizards being bottom-feeders forever, but history definitely isn't on their side. As for the Pacers, they should be a threat with Tyrese Haliburton for years to come, but this season has shown how much they depend on him to barely stay afloat. The 76ers have interesting young pieces, but it's hard to believe Joel Embiid will be in the league by then, given his injury history.
More than that, fewer miles means fresher legs. Even if NBA teams don't travel commercially and stay in luxury hotels, all that traveling still comes with plenty of wear and tear, both physically and mentally. This would also help with that issue.
That said, the Cavaliers' long-term future is a bit of a question mark right now. They traded for James Harden because they knew they had a two-year window to win an NBA championship. They might get LeBron James for a farewell tour, and they still need to sign Donovan Mitchell to a contract extension.
However, they might be stuck in another rebuild if Mitchell decides that he wants to leave, and that would happen right around the time of the projected expansion. Also, with an expansion draft shaking up the whole league's rosters, it's hard to make predictions about who will be the team to beat at the time.