‘It’s not in the immediate plans,’ NBA commissioner says league will not expand to Canada, despite the Toronto Tempo’s success

Despite the success of the Toronto Tempo, National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner Adam Silver says there are no plans for the league to expand to Canada.

During Sunday’s playoff game between the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers, Silver was questioned by reporters from The Sports Network (TSN) on whether any major players from Canada have spoken with him regarding the NBA’s incoming expansion.

Silver recognized the interest, responding,“We have been over the years, whether it’s returning to Vancouver, whether it’s Montreal, Quebec, there’s so much interest in this country now.”

But he squashed any rumours that the NBA will add a second team to Canada, saying, “Obviously we started in Toronto and Vancouver. It’s not in the immediate plans.”

This question likely came up for two reasons.

Firstly, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced the Toronto Tempo as its first Canadian expansion team in 2024, gaining the league a new market and new fans. 

Secondly, in March of this year, the NBA board of governors voted to officially begin the process of adding two new teams in Seattle and Las Vegas, bringing the league’s total teams from 30 to 32. 

It’s not uncommon for the NBA and the WNBA to have brother/sister teams in the same cities that also share the same markets. The WNBA currently has teams in both Seattle — the Seattle Storm — and Las Vegas — the Las Vegas Aces. The Aces won the 2025 WNBA Championship.

Silver also acknowledged the talent in Canada, pointing out that outside the United States, the most players in the NBA now are from Canada. 

“We have 23 players from Canada. We watched it over the years, and it’s amazing what’s happening. So overtime, we’re sure we’ll be looking at other cities in Canada, but not in this round of expansions.”