The NBA Board of Governors is expected to vote this summer to expand the league by two teams, with Seattle and Las Vegas as the two favored cities. This would drastically change the landscape of the NBA in general, but particularly the Western Conference.
If those are the two cities that receive new teams, it could finally balance out the conferences. They would have to build from scratch via an expansion draft, with existing teams able to protect eight players.
Blazers would benefit the most from NBA expansion
Additionally, the Eastern Conference would be getting an up-and-coming team from the West. Geographically, it would make sense for it to be one of three teams: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, or New Orleans Pelicans.
Minnesota joining the East would mean one less superstar for Portland to worry about, as Anthony Edwards is just 24 years old and set to be the league's best shooting guard for the next decade.
Memphis is wisely rebuilding around its underrated young core and has set itself up well for the future by acquiring a total of seven first-round picks for Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.
New Orleans' front office made that questionable draft-day trade for Derik Queen, but they clearly like their roster, considering how much of their young core was off-limits in trade discussions at the deadline.
In other words, these are three promising young teams that could threaten Portland's rebuilding timeline. Having one in the East makes it that much easier for the Blazers to make a deep playoff run.
There's also the travel aspect, which changes the balance of the league. As the only Pacific Northwest team, the Blazers are currently at a disadvantage because they are typically among the most-traveled teams in the league each season. Getting their PNW rival back in Seattle and having a short flight to Vegas are benefits that shouldn't be overlooked.
Then, there are the player protections in the expansion draft. As mentioned, teams can protect eight players on their roster. That actually turns out to be perfect for a Blazers team with nearly half of its roster expendable. It could also be ideal timing if they want to get off of Jrue Holiday or Jerami Grant's contract.
Losing one of their veterans would hurt, but that's nothing compared to what these other juggernauts out west would have to deal with. Think about how deep teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs are, for instance. These teams would have to give up starting-caliber players who are much more valuable than anything Portland would have to surrender.
Portland's path to the playoffs would be easier because the Western Conference depth would take a hit, while its travel disadvantage would be lessened. And once they're in the postseason, their path to contention becomes easier with these depleted top-tier teams.
Portland is the only team that benefits in all these areas: rebuilding timeline, playing in a weakened Western Conference, avoiding the loss of key pieces in an expansion draft, and reducing travel time. None of these individually seems like a big deal, but combined, they could prove to be a huge difference maker for Portland.