Tracy McGrady’s criticism of NBA expansion cuts straight to a concern that always follows growth: whether the league is truly deep enough to support more teams without thinning out the product on the floor. In arguing that the NBA does not currently have enough talent for two additional franchises, McGrady tapped into a debate that has become more urgent as the league moves closer to formal expansion discussions.
“We got 30 teams. We don’t have the talent to be trying to start two more teams. Can we take away two teams and add two teams? I’m saying keep it at 30. The talent to me is down bro!”
Tracy McGrady says he doesn’t think the NBA has enough talent to add expansion teams:
“We got 30 teams. We don’t have the talent to be trying to start two more teams. Can we take away two teams and add two teams? I’m saying keep it at 30. The talent to me is down bro!”
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— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 18, 2026
The NBA’s Board of Governors is expected to take a significant step next week toward expansion, with Seattle and Las Vegas widely reported as the leading candidates for new franchises. The league is preparing to vote on whether to move forward with those two markets, a process that could eventually expand the NBA from 30 teams to 32.
With that, one of the biggest basketball questions surrounding the expansion is exactly the one McGrady raised: not whether Seattle and Las Vegas can support teams, but whether the league’s overall talent base can absorb two more rosters without lowering the standard of play. Reports around the upcoming vote have specifically identified talent dilution as one of the issues tied to expansion.
There is, of course, another side to the argument. Expansion is being driven not only by basketball considerations, but by business logic. Seattle has long been viewed as a strong candidate for a return after losing the SuperSonics in 2008, while Las Vegas has become one of the league’s most important event markets through Summer League and its growing place in the American sports landscape. Financially, the potential expansion fees are expected to be enormous, with reports placing them in the billions (reported 7-10) per franchise.
