Adam Silver drops major hint about league expansion to Europe during NBA Paris game

It's been more than two decades since the last NBA expansion. In 2004, the league added the Charlotte Bobcats, a team that rebranded as the Charlotte Hornets. It moved to New Orleans and eventually became the Pelicans. The Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, and they've been waiting in line to get a team again in the future.

Rumors about another expansion have been looming for years and some believe the league could add a team in Europe.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the rumors. Talking to the media ahead of the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers' game in Paris on Thursday, he confirmed that it isn't on the table.

"We might eventually have NBA franchises here, but it's not our priority right now," Silver said. "That's not something we're discussing at the moment. We'd need supersonic jets to make it work.

"We're moving slowly to ensure that anything we do is accepted by the existing basketball ecosystem."

The league has held multiple games in France over the past couple of years as there's an ever-growing fanbase there. With players like Victor Wembanyama and Alex Sarr, that's only likely to grow exponentially.

The NBA wants to create an international league, says Adam Silver

Even if the NBA won't expand to Europe, it seems like they could still have their hands on a new league.

Adam Silver confirmed that there had been talks about potentially creating an independent international league in Europe. However, he didn't share other details.

"We're talking about a competition – probably an independent league separate from the NBA," Silver said. "It would be a European league. What form it takes is still being explored. We're speaking with various groups to understand what opportunities exist."

When it comes to domestic expansion, Seattle and Las Vegas have often been pointed out as the likeliest cities to get new teams. Kansas City, Kentucky and Mexico City have also been mentioned.

The league already added a team in Mexico for the G League — the Mexico City Capitanes.

With a plethora of talent available in free agency and the unprecedented influx of money, it seems like the timing and the conditions for another NBA expansion have never been better.