2023 NBA Expansion and Realignment

During the 2022 offseason, the NBA Board of Owners voted to bring in two expansion teams for the 2023-24 NBA season. The $2.5 billion expansion fees for each team would be spread out evenly to the other 30 teams. It would later be decided that the expansion teams would be the Seattle Supersonics (making their return after moving to Oklahoma City in 2008) and the Las Vegas Blackjacks. As a result of two new teams being added, the NBA would realign the two conferences to have 4 division each instead of 3. The realignment would also see the Memphis Grizzlies be moved to the Eastern Conference. The league will hold an expansion draft on Thursday, June 22, which will be one week before the NBA Draft on June 29.

Las Vegas Blackjacks
The Blackjacks will be owned by businessman and former NBA player Jackie Robinson. They will play their home games at T-Mobile Arena for at least the 2023-24 season before eventually moving to the All Net Resort and Arena.

Los Angeles Clippers Move
On September 17, 2021, the Los Angeles Clippers and software company Intuit announced a 23-year naming rights agreement for the Clippers planned stadium, the arena will be known as the Intuit Dome. On the same day, ground broke officially starting construction.

New Orleans Pelicans Relocation Announcement
The New Orleans Pelicans announced in late 2022 that the 2023-24 season would be their final season playing in Smoothie King Arena and in New Orleans altogether. The Pelicans will relocate to Kansas City, Missouri beginning in the 2024-25 season and will play their home games in T-Mobile Center.

Seattle Supersonics
Originally an NBA franchise that operated with the name from 1967 to 2008 before relocating to Oklahoma City and renaming to the Thunder. After years of requests from the city and the fan base, the Supersonics will make their return in 2023. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos will be the owner of the team and they will play their home games in Climate Pledge Arena (also the home of the NHL's Seattle Kraken franchise). All OKC Thunder history and stats from before 2008 will be returned to the Supersonics.

Realignment

 * The Memphis Grizzlies are moved to the Eastern Conference.
 * The Seattle Supersonics and the Las Vegas Blackjacks are added to the Western Conference.

Expansion Draft
The expansion draft will be held on June 22, one week before the NBA Draft. Current teams can protect up to eight players. Each team must make at least one player available. If selected, restricted free agents become unrestricted free agents. Pending options can be decided before or after the expansion draft at the discretion of the option holder. Anyone selected in the expansion draft can't return to his prior team for one year. Players entering unrestricted free agency and players on two-way contracts are not included.

Rules for the expansion draft:


 * A coin flip decides who picks first. The winner's choice is: Nos. 5 and 36 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft/second choice in expansion draft or Nos. 6 and 35 picks in 2023 NBA Draft/first choice in expansion draft.
 * Expansion teams alternate picks.
 * Expansion teams must select one player from each incumbent team. Exception: if the only players available from an incumbent team earn at least $10 million, the expansion teams can bypass selection from that team. Expansion teams can't select more than one player from each incumbent team.
 * Expansion teams operate at 80% of the league-wide salary their first season and 90% of the league-wide salary cap their second season. The usual floor still applies.
 * Expansion teams draft without regard to the salary cap.
 * Expansion teams can waive any selected player before the start of the season, and his salary doesn't apply toward the salary cap and luxury tax. Essentially, expansion teams get unlimited amnesty provisions with selected players before the start of the season.
 * Incumbent teams can offer draft compensation to entice expansion teams to select certain players.

Scheduling Changes
Each team will still play 82 games and the schedule will be broken down as follows:


 * 32 out-of-conference games with two games against each team
 * Each divisional opponent is played four times each (12 games)
 * Each of the 12 non-divisional conference opponents played three times each (36 games)
 * Two extra games are played against different conference opponents on a six-year basis