The race to bring the NBA to Vegas.
The owners. The arenas. The decisions that could shape the city’s basketball future.
Independent reporting. One free weekly brief. Unsubscribe anytime.
Las Vegas Strip, February 2023. Context photograph. King of Hearts / CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized; responsive crop · Photo credits
Where things stand
Checked October 25, 2026. Public reporting, with confirmed steps and disputed claims clearly separated.
Exploration authorized
March 25, 2026: the NBA Board of Governors authorized the league to explore expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle. NBA release
Ownership picture
Laurie / Durban and Foley / Colangelo are reported contenders. Reporting on the Lasry / Apostolopoulos group conflicts. Oct. 14 report; see tracker below.
What comes next
Watch for NBA updates on ownership, arenas and market economics. A proposal is not a franchise award.
Follow the sourced timeline →
Ownership tracker
Public reporting · Updated October 25, 2026. Reported pursuits, with disputed claims labeled.
LAURIE / DURBAN
Reported contender · Oct. 14
Nancy Walton Laurie and Bill Laurie, former St. Louis Blues owners, are joined in reporting by Silver Lake CEO Egon Durban.
Arena: A potential site near Allegiant Stadium has been reported. It is not an approved venue.
Read the reporting →
FOLEY / COLANGELO
Reported combined contender
Golden Knights founder Bill Foley and former Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo bring major-league sports experience. Their previously separate pursuits are now reported together.
Arena: A new venue is reported. Venue plans still require scrutiny and approval.
Read the reporting →
APOSTOLOPOULOS / LASRY
DISPUTED REPORTING · Oct. 23
Canadian real-estate executive Steve Apostolopoulos and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry lead this reported group.
Status: Withdrawal was reported by the Review-Journal citing SBJ; later Chris Haynes reporting says the group remains in play, with Kenny Smith involved.
Withdrawal report · Later report
Earlier pursuits
Earlier reporting covered Magic Johnson / The MAGI. Bob Iger / Joshua Kushner were reported withdrawn in September. FSG / LeBron James was reported not pursuing a bid in March.
Explore ownership coverage →
Latest
Our coverage
Expansion
League decisions and the road to a franchise.
Ownership
The people, proposals and business behind a bid.
Team naming
Identity ideas and community conversation, clearly separated from official announcements.
Expansion draft
How a new roster could take shape, with historical rules distinguished from future decisions.
T-Mobile Arena, 2016. Context photograph. Prayitno / CC BY 2.0 · resized; responsive crop · Photo credits
An arena is part of the proposal. It isn’t the decision.
We distinguish league decisions, bidder statements and analysis, with links to the original record.
The Full Court Brief
The important development. Its source. What changes next. A weekly roundup for readers following Vegas basketball. Free to read. Unsubscribe anytime.