The bids for an NBA expansion team in Seattle are “substantially lower” than the ones that have been made for a team in Las Vegas, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, who suggests that commissioner Adam Silver is doing what he can to wield leverage and increase those Seattle offers.

As Windhorst explains, while it may be true that the NBA is focused on figuring out its plan for Vegas before pivoting to Seattle, leaks suggesting that the league is open to establishing one expansion team instead of two – along with rumors that the losing Vegas bidders may shift their focus to Seattle – represent a means of applying pressure on the two prospective ownership groups currently in the mix for a team in Seattle.

According to Windhorst, Silver also told team owners at last month’s Board of Governors meeting that at least one group based in Mexico City has approached PJT Partners – the NBA’s expansion partner – with a proposal to launch a team and develop a new arena district in the city. That plan is believed to have intrigued the league, sources tell Windhorst, though he acknowledges that the rumblings about Mexico City could be a “stalking horse” to push Seattle bidders to get more aggressive.

Windhorst still expects Seattle to get an expansion team, noting that many ownership groups around the NBA are counting on the expansion fees that would come with two new franchises. However, he cautions that there’s still work to be done to make the return of the SuperSonics a reality.

Here’s more from Windhorst:

• Within an exploration of the Knicks’ potential paths forward with Karl-Anthony Towns, Windhorst suggests that the Warriors, Clippers, and Hawks are among the teams that would “probably line up to make big offers” to the All-Star center if he declines his 2027/28 player option in order to become a free agent next summer. Despite the fact that the Knicks paused extension talks with Towns, Windhorst does expect the two sides to eventually work something out.
• Rival executives are wondering whether the cap-strapped Magic would consider trading fourth-year guard Anthony Black if they don’t agree to terms on a rookie scale extension prior to the October 19 deadline. According to Windhorst, Brandin Podziemski’s five-year, $110MM extension with Golden State has framed Black’s negotiations to some degree, especially given that the two players are represented by the same agent (Bill Duffy). But Orlando hasn’t been willing to go up to $22MM per year for Black.
• One Eastern Conference executive who spoke to Windhorst about the Magic’s situation isn’t counting on Black to be on the move during the season. “I don’t think they trade him now even if they don’t get a deal,” that exec told ESPN. “They are under pressure to win this season because of that payroll, and they need him because of (Jalen) Suggs’ injury issues.”