NBA Insider Flags Memphis Grizzlies in Relocation Debate as Adam Silver Pushes Back

Relocation talk has lingered around the Memphis Grizzlies for months, but during All-Star weekend the league’s most visible insider — not the commissioner — framed the issue most directly.

Appearing on NBA on NBC’s coverage from Los Angeles, senior NBA reporter Chris Mannix acknowledged that relocation had quietly entered executive-level conversations as expansion discussions intensify.

“One thing he did say is that relocation right now is not something that the league is talking about,” Mannix said, referencing comments from Adam Silver. “And that was a bit of news because while we have been discussing expansion within the league, there have been some executives that have wondered would the NBA instead of expanding decide to relocate a couple of their teams to Las Vegas and to Seattle.”

Mannix did not speak hypothetically. He identified specific franchises that repeatedly surface in league circles.

“There are some suspects that are out there,” he said. “New Orleans and Memphis are two teams that have had some trouble attracting fans at a high level. Portland is dealing with its own arena issue. So, they were in that mix.”

He then offered his own read on where things are headed.

“I still believe that expansion is the most likely outcome of these meetings,” Mannix said.

For the Memphis Grizzlies, the comments underscore why the franchise remains part of the national conversation even without any formal relocation process underway.

Memphis ranked 26th in home attendance during the 2024-25 season. In an era where franchise valuations and arena revenues drive long-term planning, attendance metrics often become shorthand for market health. That alone has placed the Grizzlies into speculative columns examining which teams could be vulnerable if the league chooses relocation over expansion.

Yet Silver’s remarks at his annual press conference drew a clear line between expansion mechanics and franchise movement.

“Relocation is not on the table right now,” Silver said when asked directly whether moving teams was part of the league’s planning.

That distinction matters as the NBA prepares for a pivotal 2026 vote expected to address expansion. Seattle and Las Vegas remain widely viewed as leading candidates for new franchises. Adding two Western-based teams would likely require conference realignment, with Memphis frequently cited as a logical candidate to shift East because of its geography.

Realignment and relocation, however, are separate processes — though they are often conflated in public discourse.

Structurally, Memphis remains under lease at FedExForum through the 2028-29 season. A 2022 amendment removed an early-termination ticket shortfall clause that previously could have provided a clearer legal exit path before 2029. Local officials at the time framed that change as reinforcing the franchise’s presence in Memphis through the life of the agreement.

Negotiations continue among the team, city and county over a long-term lease extension and a substantial renovation project. Approximately $230 million in state funding has already been earmarked, though total renovation estimates approach $550 million. Officials have acknowledged urgency but also stated that construction would not begin without a new lease in place.

That timing window — expansion discussions peaking in 2026 while Memphis’ lease runs through 2029 — ensures the franchise will remain part of broader league debates.

Mannix’s framing reflects that tension. Executives may privately evaluate all structural options. Analysts may identify markets with attendance or arena questions. But as of All-Star weekend, the league office is not actively pursuing relocation.

The result is a layered reality: Memphis will continue to surface in conversations tied to expansion, realignment and long-term market strength. Yet the commissioner’s stance, echoed in Mannix’s reporting, positions expansion — not franchise movement — as the NBA’s current path forward.