Early Franchise Moves: 1950s and 1960s

• Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles (1960) — the franchise became the iconic LA Lakers, one of basketball’s greatest dynasties
• Rochester Royals to Cincinnati (1957) — eventually became the Sacramento Kings after additional moves through Kansas City
• Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco (1962) — became the Golden State Warriors
• Syracuse Nationals to Philadelphia (1963) — became the 76ers, taking over the market the Warriors left
• Fort Wayne Pistons to Detroit (1957) — became the Detroit Pistons
• St. Louis Hawks to Atlanta (1968) — became the Atlanta Hawks

The ABA Merger: Four New Franchises

NBA Team Relocations, The 1976 merger between the NBA and the American Basketball Association brought four ABA franchises into the league: the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and New York Nets. Several other ABA franchises folded rather than meeting the merger terms. The merger fundamentally shaped the league’s current geography.

The Most Famous Relocation: Seattle to Oklahoma City

No franchise relocation in NBA history has generated more sustained controversy than the 2008 move of the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City. Seattle had hosted an NBA team since 1967. The SuperSonics won the 1979 NBA Championship and produced legendary players including Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and — briefly — Kevin Durant.

The ownership group led by Clay Bennett acquired the team in 2006 with assurances they would attempt to keep the team in Seattle. Those assurances proved hollow. The franchise relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, becoming the Thunder.

The OKC Thunder have since become one of the NBA’s great success stories, winning their first championship in 2024-25. Seattle fans have not forgiven the loss of their franchise and remain among the most motivated advocates for an expansion or relocated team.

The Vancouver Grizzlies: Canada’s Lost Franchise

NBA Team Relocations, The Vancouver Grizzlies launched in 1995 as part of the NBA’s Canadian expansion alongside the Toronto Raptors. The Vancouver experiment failed — weak attendance, difficulty recruiting free agents to a Canadian market, and consistently poor on-court performance made the franchise financially unviable.

After the 2000-01 season, the Grizzlies relocated to Memphis, where they became a stable and occasionally competitive franchise. The Memphis Grizzlies have produced players including Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, and Ja Morant. Vancouver has been without an NBA team since 2001, though expansion interest remains active.

New Jersey to Brooklyn: The Nets’ Move

The New Jersey Nets played from 1977 to 2012 before relocating to the newly constructed Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The move was commercially successful — Brooklyn became one of the NBA’s marquee addresses — though the team’s on-court performance has remained inconsistent relative to the market’s ambitions.

The New Orleans Hornets’ Temporary Displacement

Following Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans in 2005, the Hornets temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City for two seasons. The city’s enthusiastic reception of the temporary team helped build the case for a permanent franchise there — which arrived with the SuperSonics relocation in 2008.

Read More: NBA In-Season Tournament Rules Explained: Format, Prize Money and History

Frequently Asked Questions: NBA Relocated Teams

Why did the Seattle SuperSonics move to Oklahoma City?

The team was sold in 2006 to a group led by Clay Bennett, who relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 after claiming the Seattle arena situation made continued operations unviable. Seattle has not had a team since.

Why did the Vancouver Grizzlies move to Memphis?

Weak attendance, difficulty recruiting players, and sustained poor performance made the Vancouver market financially unworkable. The team moved to Memphis after the 2000-01 season.

Which city has the longest current wait for an NBA team?

Seattle has gone without a team since 2008 — the longest current gap for a major market that previously had a franchise.