NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that it is “up in the air whether T-Mobile Arena would be an adequate fit to host an NBA team should the league choose to expand” to Las Vegas, according to Mick Akers of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Silver said that he has “attended hockey and basketball games at the nearly 10-year-old facility,” but that there are a “number of factors in play on whether the arena could host an NBA team along with” the Golden Knights. Silver said, “It’s a fantastic facility. But I think that will be part of our process, better understanding where T-Mobile stands, if they have any plans to make any changes, and probably most importantly, what an ownership group maybe thinking, about where the optimal place is to play in Las Vegas.” Silver said that it is “too early in the process to know if T-Mobile Arena could serve as a temporary home for an NBA team while a new arena is constructed.” Golden Knights owner Bill Foley said that he “would be interested in owning an NBA team and that they would carry out $300 million in renovations to T-Mobile Arena if he were successful in his bid.” Akers notes the MAGI, led by Basketball HOFer Magic Johnson, is another group that has “expressed interest in owning a Las Vegas NBA expansion team” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 3/26).
HOME IMPROVEMENT: Foley said of a potential Las Vegas NBA team, “We have people who are interested in investing, we haven’t really followed through with what the league is yet. Soon, it’s going to be time to follow up with the NBA and the commissioner and let them know of our expressions of interest because we are interested.” He added having the team play at T-Mobile is “just a great solution” and he and the other owners of the arena can “make the improvements necessary to make it NBA-ready.” Foley indicated that among the improvements that could be made at T-Mobile are a “new wing to include locker rooms, weight rooms, and team offices,” along with an “expansion in the hospitality area.” Foley: “We can probably improve seating, add another thousand or 1,200 seats, to already take advantage of what T-Mobile already is. It’s in a great location, it’s a terrific arena, but we can make it better” (8NEWSNOW.com, 3/25).