Creative Team Names for Las Vegas NBA Franchise amid New Expansion Rumors

The NBA's much-rumored expansion efforts could become a reality very soon.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the league will vote on adding teams in Las Vegas and Seattle during the board of governors meetings next week with the 2028-29 season as the target start date for both franchises if expansion is approved.

If the league does vote to add two new teams, one of the next steps in the process will be determining their names. Seattle would seem almost certain to go with SuperSonics to honor the city's storied NBA history.

Vegas, on the other hand, has a world of possibilities to choose from. There are some names off the board because they belong to other sports teams in the city, including Aces (WNBA), Raiders (NFL), Rebels (college) and Golden Knights (NHL).

Here are some ideas the NBA could consider when it gets to the process of naming the franchise if expansion goes through:

• Jacks
• Jokers
• Spades
• Scorpions
• Lions
• Spiders
• Rattlesnakes
• Lava

Since Vegas already has the Aces in the WNBA, the obvious candidates for an NBA team nickname would be card-based. The best option is off the board because the Kings are in Sacramento, so you would have to go with either Jacks or Jokers.

There's also the option of going with a card suit, like spades, clubs or diamonds. Clubs wouldn't really work because Las Vegas Clubs sounds more like nightclubs, though tech people would point out the SEO would be outstanding for the NBA.

The league could also go with an animal or arachnid closely associated with the city. Since Vegas is located in the Mojave Desert, there is a large scorpion, rattlesnake and spider presence in the area.

Plus, since sports leagues are always looking for unique marketing opportunities, the NBA could do Mortal Kombat promotional nights with Scorpion merchandise given out to the first 10,000 fans.

Las Vegas is home to the non-profit Lion Habitat Ranch that is home to dozens of lions and is a tourist attraction for families, so a lion-based name could also be of interest to an NBA franchise.

Lava would be a way to pay tribute to the iconic Mirage Hotel & Casino that closed in July 2024. The main attraction at the site was the artificial volcano outside the front entrance that erupted every night.