{'byline': '', 'hosts': '', 'byline_sources': '', 'hide_author': True, 'audience_id': '', 'original_station': [{'station': '929espn', 'path': '929espn/sports/memphis-grizzlies/j-and-j-show-grizzlies-to-the-nba-eastern-conference'}], 'syndicated_items': '', 'original_item': {'_index': 'published-content_v44', '_type': '_doc', '_score': None, '_source': {'date': '2026-03-16T18:30:25.945Z', 'lead': [{'data': {'text': '<iframe width="100%" height="165px" frameborder="0" src="https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?&amp;feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F8037733_2026-03-16-183233&amp;withPlaylist=false&amp;theme=blurred&amp;playerDisplay-logoType=Audacy" allow="clipboard-write"></iframe>', 'isIframe': True, 'componentVariation': 'html-embed', 'fbInstantArticleHtml': '<iframe width="100%" height="165px" frameborder="0" src="https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?&amp;feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F8037733_2026-03-16-183233&amp;withPlaylist=false&amp;theme=blurred&amp;playerDisplay-logoType=Audacy" allow="clipboard-write"></iframe>'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/html-embed/instances/cmmtipbaz0037357x7nntcr8q@published'}], 'slug': 'j-and-j-show-grizzlies-to-the-nba-eastern-conference', 'tags': ['National Basketball Association', 'Memphis Grizzlies', 'Las Vegas', 'Seattle'], 'feeds': {'msn': True, 'rss': True, 'postup': True, 'facebook': True, 'newsfeed': True, 'sitemaps': True, 'frequency': True, 'smartNews': True, 'apple-news': False, 'smart-news': True, 'most-popular': True, 'reversechron': True, 'google-news-feed': True}, 'hosts': [], 'adTags': {'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/ad-tags/instances/cmmtifrn7000a01qpove296jp@published'}, 'byline': [{'names': [], 'sources': [], 'hosts': [], 'prefix': 'by'}], 'teaser': 'J&J Show: Grizzlies to the NBA Eastern Conference?', 'authors': [], 'content': [{'data': {'text': 'A major shift could be coming to the NBA, and it could have a big impact on the Memphis Grizzlies. As Rachel Nichols noted on X, the league appears focused on expansion strictly to <strong>Seattle and Las Vegas</strong>, with no open bidding process essentially “Seattle and Las Vegas or bust.”', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmmtifrn7000e01qpfeus78jm@published'}, {'data': {'text': '<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So no open bidding for NBA expansion - it’s Seattle and Las Vegas or bust. First <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BringBackTheSonics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BringBackTheSonics</a>, and second, these would both be Western Conference teams, which means one current West team will have to move to the East. Who should it be? Memphis? Someone else? <a href="https://t.co/IZUyO5uuCo">https://t.co/IZUyO5uuCo</a></p>— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rachel__Nichols/status/2033529795699716178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>', 'isIframe': False, 'componentVariation': 'html-embed', 'fbInstantArticleHtml': '<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">So no open bidding for NBA expansion - it’s Seattle and Las Vegas or bust. First <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BringBackTheSonics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BringBackTheSonics</a>, and second, these would both be Western Conference teams, which means one current West team will have to move to the East. Who should it be? Memphis? Someone else? <a href="https://t.co/IZUyO5uuCo">https://t.co/IZUyO5uuCo</a></p>— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rachel__Nichols/status/2033529795699716178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/html-embed/instances/cmmtig9pv000u357xfiaehc6d@published'}, {'data': {'text': 'League owners are expected to discuss expansion at upcoming Board of Governors meetings, with the goal of eventually growing the NBA from 30 to <strong>32 teams</strong>. If approved, the new franchises could begin play as early as the <strong>2028–29 season</strong>, with ownership bids projected between <strong>$7 and $10 billion per team</strong>.', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmmtifwuh000h357x0sc1fxov@published'}, {'data': {'text': 'Because both Seattle and Las Vegas would likely enter the <strong>Western Conference</strong>, the NBA would need to shift one existing team to the <strong>Eastern Conference</strong> to maintain balance. According to league insiders, the two franchises most often mentioned as candidates are the <strong>Memphis Grizzlies</strong> and the <strong>Minnesota Timberwolves</strong>.', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmmtifwuq000i357xu32813cc@published'}, {'data': {'text': 'For Memphis, a move east could make geographic sense and potentially create new rivalries with teams like Atlanta, Indiana, and Chicago. It might also offer a clearer competitive path in a conference historically viewed as less deep than the West. As expansion momentum builds, the Grizzlies could find themselves at the center of one of the NBA’s biggest realignment decisions in decades.', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmmtifwvb000j357xcbtsv0ry@published'}, {'data': {'text': '<iframe width="100%" height="165px" frameborder="0" src="https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?&amp;feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F8037733_2026-03-16-183233&amp;withPlaylist=false&amp;theme=blurred&amp;playerDisplay-logoType=Audacy" allow="clipboard-write"></iframe>', 'isIframe': True, 'componentVariation': 'html-embed', 'fbInstantArticleHtml': '<iframe width="100%" height="165px" frameborder="0" src="https://player.amperwavepodcasting.com?&amp;feed-link=https%3A%2F%2Frss.amperwave.net%2Fv2%2Fepisode%2F8037733_2026-03-16-183233&amp;withPlaylist=false&amp;theme=blurred&amp;playerDisplay-logoType=Audacy" allow="clipboard-write"></iframe>'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/html-embed/instances/cmmtipwak003j357xah5gzrlf@published'}, {'data': {'text': 'Next game: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Chicago Bulls Monday night (3/16) at 7:00 p.m. live on 92.9 FM ESPN', '_version': 2, 'componentVariation': 'paragraph'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmmtigm8c0016357xgetvk2cy@published'}], 'feedImg': {'data': {'alt': 'FedExForum', 'url': 'https://radioimg.audacy.com/aiu-media/FedExForum-a3711c11-fd14-47c8-9df8-f1c545a842ba.jpg', 'width': 594, 'credit': 'Getty Images', 'height': 396, 'caption': 'FedExForum', '_version': 1, 'mimeType': 'image/jpeg', 'imageLink': 'https://www.audacy.com/stations/929espn', 'rendition': None, 'sizeInBytes': '50947', 'borderToggle': None, 'componentVariation': 'image'}, 'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/feed-image/instances/cmmtifrn7000b01qpz5f8g2hc@published'}, 'sources': [], '_version': 24, 'featured': False, 'headline': 'J&J Show: Grizzlies to the NBA Eastern Conference?', 'msnTitle': 'J&J Show: Grizzlies to the NBA Eastern Conference?', 'textTags': ['National Basketball Association', 'Memphis Grizzlies', 'Las Vegas', 'Seattle'], '_msnTitle': {'shouldOverride': False}, 'apContent': None, 'isOpinion': False, 'pageTitle': 'J&J Show: Grizzlies to the NBA Eastern Conference?', 'sideShare': {'original_ref': 'www.audacy.com/_components/share/instances/cmmtifrn7000c01qpovj64ep3@published'}, 'feedImgUrl': 'https://radioimg.audacy.com/aiu-media/FedExForum-a3711c11-fd14-47c8-9df8-f1c545a842ba.jpg', 'feedLayout': 'small', 'showSocial': True, 'stationURL': 'https://www.audacy.com/929espn', 'breadcrumbs': [{'hidden': False, 'text': '92.9 FM ESPN', 'url': '//www.audacy.com/929espn'}, {'hidden': False, 'text': 'Sports', 'url': '//www.audacy.com/929espn/sports'}, {'hidden': False, 'text': 'Memphis Grizzlies', 'isLastVisibleDivider': True, 'url': '//www.audacy.com/929espn/sports/memphis-grizzlies'}, {'hidden': True, 'text': 'J&J Show: Grizzlies to the NBA Eastern Conference?', 'url': '//www.audacy.com/929espn/sports/memphis-grizzlies/j-and-j-show-grizzlies-to-the-nba-eastern-conference'}], 'contentType': 'article', 'seoHeadline': 'J&J Show: Grizzlies to the NBA Eastern Conference?', 'stationName': '92.9 FM ESPN', 'stationSlug': '929espn', 'subHeadline': 'Las Vegas and Seattle look to be the most likely destinations for NBA Expansion, meaning realignment', 'dateModified': '2026-03-16T18:30:40.224Z', 'featuredNews': True, 'sectionFront': 'sports', 'fullWidthLead': False, 'shortHeadline': 'J&J Show: Grizzlies to the NBA Eastern Conference?', 'syndicatedUrl': None, 'unityPageType': 'article', 'featuredSports': True, 'msnTitleLength': 50, 'seoDescription': 'J&J Show: Grizzlies to the NBA Eastern Conference? 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