Which teams could move to the Eastern Conference after league expansion?

As Expansion chatter is intensifying across the NBAleague officials are increasingly focused on how conference realignment could reshape the competitive landscape if two new franchises are added.

Appearing on NBA Today on Thursday, ESPN insider Shams Charania said that the expansion discussions “top of mind” for the league’s Board of Directors, and the March meeting is expected to provide additional financial clarity.

“This is the most important thing for the Board of Directors and the owners of the NBA because this is potentially a big deal,” Charania said. “And I’m told there’s a Board of Directors meeting in March where there’s expected to be more information, financials, about what it looks like when you go get a few more teams for potential expansion. What does that mean for the rest of the league? What’s the valuation going to be for those two teams? What does the league schedule look like in the summer?

Seattle, Las Vegas expansion could force decision to move to NBA

Charania added that Seattle and Las Vegas are widely viewed as leaders in franchise expansion. If both cities agree to teams, the league would likely have to move one current Western Conference franchise to the Eastern Conference to maintain balance.

“My understanding is that Seattle and Las Vegas are the frontrunners for expansion teams, and from there the Western Conference team moves to the Eastern Conference,” Charania said. “So you’re thinking about teams in that region, right? Memphis, Minnesota, New Orleans. Could one of those teams potentially move to the Eastern Conference? These are the conversations that will start in 2026. It’s still a few years away from actually happening, as far as expansion teams go public.”

“Seattle and Las Vegas are leading expansion teams. From there, a Western Conference team moves into the Eastern Conference…Memphis, Minnesota, New Orleans,?”

— Shems Charania on the potential expansion around the NBA in the coming years 👀pic.twitter.com/oTIsvvNz0E

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 12, 2026

Among the candidates, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and New Orleans Pelicans are often mentioned because of geography. Memphis enters the weekend All-Star festivities at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles with a record of 20-33, after 11th place in the Western Conference trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz in the period that marked the beginning of the renovation.

New Orleans is 15-41 and 14th in the West, also going through the transition period. Minnesota, meanwhile, is 34-22 as the fifth seed and after back-to-back appearances in the Western Conference Finalspositioning itself as a contender that could benefit competitively from the Eastern Conference realignment.

While expansion is still years away from implementation, the NBA’s long-term structure is clearly under evaluation as financial projections and competitive considerations take center stage.