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Is There A Correlation Between A Possible NBA Expansion And The NBA’s Implementation Of The Play-In Tournament?

Last year, when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was asked about a possible NBA expansion, he surprised everyone when he replied to the same question he’s been asked numerous times, by giving a different response than the usual ‘this is something the league isn’t really considering at this moment’:

“I think I’ve always said that it’s sort of the manifest destiny of the league that you expand at some point. I’d say it’s caused us to maybe dust off some of the analyses on the economic and competitive impacts of expansion. We’ve been putting a little bit more time into it than we were pre-pandemic.”

While Silver also stated that this wasn’t a top priority at this time, it does give hope to millions of people hoping their hometown might get an NBA franchise at some point in the next few years, most and foremost the people of Seattle and Las Vegas, who seem to be the front-runners in a potential expansion.

With a possible NBA expansion looming, the correlation between said expansion, and the NBA implementing the Play-In Tournament for the foreseeable future, does not seem too far-fetched.

When I asked NBA Executive Vice President and Head of NBA Basketball Strategy & Analytics, Evan Wasch about a possible correlation during a Zoom Call, he revealed that it did not play a role.

NBA Executive Vice President and Head of NBA Basketball Strategy & Analytics Evan Wasch on if a possible NBA expansion also played a role in implementing the play-ins for the foreseeable future. pic.twitter.com/GxfLGp5Ct7

— Len Werle (@RealLennyCarlos) April 8, 2022

The Play-In Tournament was originally installed because the 2019-2020 season was interrupted due to Covid-19. Due to its huge success however, the NBA revealed that the play-ins will be a part of the NBA calendars for good, and rightfully so. Fans love it!