NBA expansion is no longer a distant idea. The NBA Board of Governors has already given the green light to move forward, and potential investors are beginning to line up.
That means structural change is coming soon. And while most teams are thinking long-term, the San Antonio Spurs could benefit much sooner than expected.
Especially considering where they already stand today, the expansion draft might accelerate their current rise.
The Spurs are already contenders behind MVP leader Wembanyama
The Spurs are not building toward contention. They are already there, and it starts with Victor Wembanyama.
He is not just in the MVP race; he is leading it. That alone changes how seriously this team has to be taken across the league.
San Antonio sits just two games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder with roughly 10 games left. That is not a long-term projection; it is an immediate opportunity to claim the top seed.
They already have a real shot to win it all. The only thing missing is experience and a roster filled with multiple All-NBA-level players, which is typically the final ingredient for a title.
Timberwolves likely move East and give the Spurs a real edge
Expansion will almost certainly come with realignment. The most likely outcome is that the Minnesota Timberwolves shift to the Eastern Conference. That move is not minor. It removes a strong, established playoff team from the Western Conference equation entirely.
For the Spurs, that creates a clearer path immediately. One less contender in a tightly packed West can be the defining ingredient to earn the Larry O’Brien trophy.
This is true for every team, but especially for a young squad like the San Antonio Spurs with home-grown stars.
Expansion timing could fuel a NBA title run or even more
The expansion draft is expected to happen the season after next. By then, the Spurs will likely be even stronger and more experienced around Wembanyama.
At the same time, expansion tends to create ripple effects across the league. Talent gets redistributed, rotations shift, and some teams inevitably lose depth.
If the Spurs have already broken through by then, those changes could support a repeat run. If they fall just short, the same dynamics could push them over the top.
Everything is aligning. A rising superstar, a team already competing, and a league about to reshape itself. If Wemby earns MVP already this season, he will certainly attract even more talent until then. The NBA should better watch out.