Bill Simmons has spent decades watching the NBA, but this season has tested even his patience. And now, with the league reportedly moving toward adding two expansion franchises, he’s not buying what the league office is selling.
Why Bill Simmons Argues NBA Expansion Would Further Dilute the League
The timing couldn’t be worse for Commissioner Adam Silver to push expansion. Seattle and Las Vegas are the frontrunners to become franchises 31 and 32, potentially by the 2028-29 season, with reported valuations reaching $8 billion per team.
But Simmons isn’t impressed by the dollar signs. He called the expansion push “a money grab” that would dilute an already watered-down product.
“We have nine teams that don’t give a sh** right now in a 30-team league,” Simmons said on his podcast. “The last thing we need to do is add two more teams that don’t give a sh**.” He even took to X, showcasing the results of several blowout games while taking a sarcastic dig at the league.
We really need two more NBA teams. And let’s stay at 82 games. pic.twitter.com/4XEMfz1H8m
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) April 4, 2026
The numbers back him up. As Marc Stein pointed out, March 2026 produced the least competitive slate of games in league history: 145 games decided by 10 or more points, 67 by 20 or more, and 24 by 30 or more.
All are the highest monthly totals ever recorded. The league has now seen 84 games this season decided by 30 points or more, breaking last season’s record of 80.
Friday’s schedule was particularly brutal. The games were decided by an average of 24.4 points. That’s the largest average margin of victory on a day with at least eight games in NBA history.
AP’s Tim Reynolds offered further insight. According to his findings, in 80 years of league history, there have been only two days on which at least nine games were played with an average margin of victory of at least 24 points:
- April 3, 2026: nine games, 24.4 average margin.
- March 29, 2026: nine games, 24.0 average margin.
The next biggest average margin on a day of nine or more games? April 2, 2021, with 10 games played and the margin being 21.7.
Simmons isn’t merely complaining about blowouts. His argument cuts deeper: The league’s structure actively rewards losing. At least eight teams are openly tanking ahead of June’s stacked draft class, and adding two expansion franchises would only create more roster dilution and more incentive for weak teams to bottom out.
“I cannot accept two expansion teams and having 11 tanking teams three seasons from now instead of nine,” Simmons said. “I just don’t see how that’s a good product.”
He’s not alone. Former two-time scoring champion Tracy McGrady made a similar point on his podcast, “Cousins,” arguing the league doesn’t have the talent depth to support 32 teams. “We have 30 teams, got a lot of players, 450 maybe more now. We don’t have the talent to be trying to start two more teams.”
Silver insists the league takes the tanking crisis “very seriously” and pledged reforms are coming. But Simmons is skeptical that owners will even approve expansion.
Twenty-three of 30 franchises must vote yes to proceed. He believes the leak about expansion was a trial balloon, a way to gauge public reaction before ownership actually commits.
The NBA has real problems to address before it starts chasing new markets. Star players are missing games at alarming rates. The 65-game threshold for awards eligibility has knocked out Luka Dončić, Cade Cunningham, and Anthony Edwards.
Games are unwatchable. And the league wants to talk about expansion. Simmons isn’t buying it. And for good reasons.
