LeBron James Wants to Own NBA Expansion Team in Las Vegas, But He Has a Problem

(Photo : Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Basketball legend LeBron James seems prepared to transition from being a player to being a team owner.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has shown interest in joining the ownership group of a future Las Vegas NBA team.

After the NBA Las Vegas preseason game defeat to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night at the T-Mobile Arena, the four-time MVP directed his postmatch remarks at NBA commissioner Adam Silver, per a report from Bleacher Report.

LeBron Needs to Convince Investors

"I would love to bring a team here at some point. That would be amazing," LeBron James said during the media conference after the game.

But here's the problem: Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN says the NBA expansion is possible but not an urgent concern, per CBS Sports.

Currently, the discussion of a new TV broadcast rights contract is becoming increasingly important. After it is resolved, the league may think about adding NBA Las Vegas and Seattle. Specifically, this would let prospective franchise buyers estimate the amount of money they may make from national television broadcasts, which could affect their offers.

The NBA plans to negotiate new television/media and Collective Bargaining deals before seriously examining the adding of new teams. The possibilities of Las Vegas and Seattle as expansion candidates are real, but likely years away. https://t.co/aF7ypjzGbd
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 6, 2022

Moreover, NBA teams don't allow owners to play. This regulation made headlines in 2001 when Michael Jordan returned to play for the Washington Wizards and was required to sell his team ownership share. There is no way to predict if the NBA will reconsider this policy if James is still playing when the potential expansion occurs.

However, James will likely one day be the owner of an NBA franchise. LeBron James would have the same attraction to the NBA that Michael Jordan did when he bought the Hornets.

LeBron James is wealthy. In June, Forbes confirmed James's new status as a billionaire. Plus, he has a solid professional basketball background. These two things may help a potential Las Vegas franchise succeed.

Both the National Hockey League and the National Football League have found significant success by establishing in Las Vegas, Nevada, long considered off-bounds by professional sports associations. Sometime in the future, the NBA will most likely do the same and have an NBA Las Vegas team.

LeBron James is positioning himself to help form a group that can compete for ownership. However, if the Lakers superstar wants to sign up with a NBA Las Vegas team, he'll probably need to find some investors.

Competition for ownership rights is expected to be high; the Memphis Grizzlies, valued at $1.5 billion, are the lowest-priced NBA franchise on Forbes' most recent list of values.

NBA Expansion Won't Happen Soon

However, James seems eager to play a major role in the expansion, and this might lead to a seamless transition from his playing career to a position in the front office. In June, he announced his plans on HBO's The Shop:

"I want a team in Vegas." 👀 @KingJames hints at his next big move on an all new episode of #TheShop TOMORROW at 9 am PT on our YouTube! 📺 pic.twitter.com/HIZKsBYPGF
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) June 9, 2022

The moment when an NBA expansion club may join the league is something commissioner Adam Silver will have to address at a later time.

At his annual NBA Finals news conference, Silver was frank about the lack of interest of the NBA in expanding to Seattle and Las Vegas, the two cities with the best chances of landing NBA expansion teams in the future, per Sports Illustrated.

While Silver did say that NBA expansion is evident, he also said that the matter is not a high priority for now and that negotiations regarding NBA expansion might pick up steam after the 2023-24 season.