How do NBA Summer League coaches, players feel about a team in Las Vegas?

Still without tangible hope for a team of its own, Las Vegas bid one of its annual farewells to the NBA on Sunday as the Charlotte Hornets beat the Sacramento Kings for the Summer League title.

It was the seventh straight year that all 30 teams played in Las Vegas, which has long been considered one of the top destinations for potential expansion.

But after discussion with league owners, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that expansion is “truly a complicated issue.”

Silver added that while he views Las Vegas as the league’s 31st franchise, nothing has been decided regarding the growth. The dialogue about whether to add teams will continue based on an in-depth analysis with no set timeline.

As the league researches specific markets and their local support for a team, it seems likely that Las Vegas’ track record with hosting the Summer League for the past 20 years — and the NBA Cup since it was introduced in 2023 — will prove to be a net positive.

For many of the league’s players and coaches, however, taking a stance on whether Las Vegas should be awarded a franchise is much more simple.

Here’s what they had to say during the Summer League when asked about a potential Las Vegas expansion team:

Not a problem for the West

Days before hoisting the Summer League trophy with his players, Hornets Summer League coach Chris Jent considered regular-season basketball in Las Vegas with a smile on his face.

“I think for the West, it’s not a problem. You’re four hours from L.A.,” he said with a laugh. “I know there’s been a lot of talk about different locations, but it seems like Vegas is finding all ways to get to professional sports. … It’s become a destination for people to come and see basketball.”

Jent was right about the location. Only Eastern Conference coaches and players mentioned the extra travel, as they would have to travel to Las Vegas once every regular season if the city received a team.

Vegas fatigue

Without distance as a sticking point, there was just one dissenting opinion on Las Vegas from players in the West:

“I don’t like it here, to be honest,” Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James said after drawing MVP chants from the crowd in a loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

The showing marked the second-year player’s second straight performance with at least 17 points, but he didn’t let the crowd’s affections sway his opinion.

“It’s a crazy atmosphere in Vegas,” said James, son of Lakers star LeBron James. “It always has been, even in the years that I’ve came and watched and I’m not even playing. But it’s kind of hard to determine which fans are real and which ones are just trolling or stuff like that. So I just try to keep my head level.”

When asked if there was anything he likes about Las Vegas that would make him want to come back, he was blunt:

“This arena? That’s the best part,” James said of the Thomas & Mack Center. “I wanna go home.”

Lakers coach Lindsey Harding, the NBA’s second female Summer League head coach after Becky Hammon coached the San Antonio Spurs in 2015 and 2016, provided clarity regarding the potential Las Vegas fatigue.

“Most people come to Vegas on the Strip for a few days,” she said. “You know, we’re here for 10 days … so it’s been a toll on their bodies. … But as a whole, just the experience and being in this crowd of this atmosphere, it’s been fun for everybody.”

‘Everyone stays out of trouble’

Harding also dispelled one common conversational knock on Las Vegas as a sports city, which is the question of whether coaches would want their players placed in “Sin City” more often.

“I mean, they’re grown-ups, they can do whatever they want to do in their off time,” she said.

San Antonio summer league coach Mike Noyes offered the same sentiment.

“I’m not a huge gambler or Vegas guy, but it’s fun being out here. Everyone stays out of trouble,” he said.

As a Las Vegas native who played high school basketball at Losee, Dallas Mavericks forward Maxwell Lewis wants his hometown to be represented in the NBA so narratives can change.

“Man, that would be a blessing,” he said when asked for his thoughts about potential expansion. “We’re just known for the Strip and casinos. To have something else positive, basketball-wise, would be great for the city.”

‘Great fan base’

Former NBA player Chauncey Billups, who now coaches the Portland Trail Blazers, said Las Vegas’ fit for the NBA is “obvious.”

“I think it’d be awesome. It’s turned into a great sports town,” Billups said. “It’s the entertainment city, and the fans love basketball.”

That was the overwhelming perspective from coaches and players: The city has made it clear it can show up.

Although Spurs player Harrison Ingram and Lakers players said their fans traveled well enough to change the crowd, some coaches focused on the power of Las Vegas fans.

Minnesota Timberwolves Summer League coach Kevin Hanson praised Las Vegas as “built for” the NBA, adding that existing fan bases have supported the current sports franchises.

Sacramento Summer League coach Dipesh Mistry took that idea a step further, analyzing the potential home-court edge a team in Las Vegas could have.

“Las Vegas (has) got a great fan base. You saw it with the hockey team (getting to the Stanley Cup Final) in the first year. And even with the Aces,” he said. “So I think it would be amazing to have a Vegas team over here. Just when we come to play an away game, we’ve got to be careful. That’s the only problem. They might have the advantage in that one.”

Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X. Review-Journal staff writer Alex Wright contributed to this report.