Montreal-based writer, Habs fan, all-around good guy.

With <a href="https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-bronze-fiba-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Canada winning medals on the world&#8217;s stage</a> and continuing to host successful NBA events year after year, expansion up north could be more of a matter of when than if at this point.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver added fuel to the maple-leaf-shaped fire while being interviewed on the Boston Celtics&#8217; broadcast during Monday&#8217;s game against the New York Knicks. After basically confirming that the NBA will expand once new television deals are in place, Silver spoke of Canada&#8217;s potential, using the Raptors&#8217; success as an example.
&#8220;It&#8217;s interesting. We, of course, had a team in Vancouver, ended up moving to Memphis. That&#8217;s become a great basketball market,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I will say the Toronto Raptors have done a good job&#8230; of making themselves Canada&#8217;s team.&#8221;
The commissioner then named two cities that have been making waves as potential markets for teams.
&#8220;I know there&#8217;s interest from Montreal. We&#8217;ve heard from them,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;There&#8217;s still ongoing interest in Vancouver.&#8221;
&#8220;We have, I think, close to 25 players from Canada now in the NBA. Look how strong their national team has become. It began so much as a hockey market when we first expanded there, young people love basketball now,&#8221; Silver added. &#8220;There will be more opportunity over time.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NBA commissioner Adam Silver on possible Canadian expansion:
“I know there’s interest from Montreal… there’s still ongoing interest in Vancouver.” <a href="https://t.co/yUhwTwsCtS">pic.twitter.com/yUhwTwsCtS</a>
&mdash; Al Sciola (@al_sciola) <a href="https://twitter.com/al_sciola/status/1724450769871458628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Most people believe that Seattle and Las Vegas are the two frontrunners to land the next available NBA expansion teams, and <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1724235267211411707" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Silver also mentioned Mexico City as an option</a>, but there is reason to believe in Canadian expansion.
Both Montreal and Vancouver hosted preseason games to great success last month. And players and coaches at both events <a href="https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/toronto-raptors-impressed-vancouver-crowd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made comments that got fans excited</a> about the future.
“It was almost like it was a real NBA game. Not almost. It definitely felt like it was a real NBA game,&#8221; the Oklahoma City Thunder&#8217;s star Canadian player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, said of the atmosphere at the Bell Centre before proclaiming that &#8220;the NBA <a href="https://dailyhive.com/montreal/montreal-nba-preseason-gilgeous-alexander" target="_blank" rel="noopener">should put a team here</a>.”
Meanwhile, Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković said something to the same effect to the folks in BC.
“It’s an amazing city, in my opinion, it really deserves to have [an] NBA team one day,&#8221; the bench boss told reporters at Rogers Arena. &#8220;But until that day, we’re very happy with the support that we’re getting here.”
<ul class="article-see-also">You might also like:<li><a href='https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/nba-players-debate-new-vancouver-team' target='_blank'>NBA players argue in favour of new Vancouver team</a></li></ul>

Vancouver

Calgary

Montreal

Toronto

Edmonton

The NBA expanding up north seems to be more of a matter of when than if at this point, and two cities are already in the mix.