What Are The Chances Of Cincinnati Getting A NBA Team?

The Sacramento Kings’ new city edition jerseys are out, and they’re a cool throwback to their Cincinnati roots. They’ve got the deep navy blue color and the smirking basketball logo that used to shine at Cincinnati Gardens and on the jersey of UC legend Oscar Robertson. It’s a fun nod to the past but could Cincinnati’s basketball future get even bigger?

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The NBA is talking about adding new teams, and it’s got some fans dreaming: Could Cincinnati get a pro basketball team again? The main hurdle is the same one from before our arena. Heritage Bank Center holds 17,000 people, which works for teams like the Pacers or Clippers. But those places can stretch for bigger crowds, and Heritage can’t.

Good news, though! A study on the Cincinnati Chamber website suggests building a new, bigger arena. It could host an NBA or NHL team, NCAA basketball tournaments, and even world gymnastics events. Cyclones owner Ray Harris says he’d support it. A shiny new stadium could be the key!

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Right now, people are betting on Seattle and Las Vegas for new NBA teams. Las Vegas is tough to beat its big challenge is figuring out if the NHL’s Golden Knights will share their arena. The Knights’ owner, Bill Foley, is even thinking about a $300 million upgrade to make it basketball-ready.

Meanwhile, in Seattle, Kraken owner Samantha Holloway wants an NBA team bad (they’ve missed the Supersonics since 2008), but she’s struggling to make the money work.

Cincinnati getting an NBA team soon might sound like a long shot. But if that new arena gets built, it could happen fast! If the NHL sees a chance here, the NBA might too. At the very least, we could see the Denver Nuggets’ G-League team, the Cincinnati Royals, come to life. A new arena could put Cincinnati back on the basketball map let’s cheer for that!