The NBA is on the verge of closing broadcast deals with ESPN, Amazon and NBC that are expected to eclipse $75 billion.
It's commissioner says next on the leaguewide docket is exploring expanding beyond it's 30 current franchises. Could St. Louis be an option?
It's a tall and expensive task for any potential business partnership to tackle. There are three key factors the NBA will weigh when looking at new destinations according to Patrick Rishe, Executive Director of Sports Business at Washington University.
"You're gonna have an ownership group that is financially viable, they've gotta have a venue and they have got to have both fan and corporate support." said Rishe.
The ownership group would need the financial means to not just support an NBA team but cut a hefty check to join the league. The expansion fee paid to league's other owners is expected to be over $3 billion.
Lets break down the other two components, starting with the venue. The Enterprise Center is a natural choice. Currently, 10 NBA and NHL teams are roommates, sharing an arena. However despite the arena's 22,000 seat capacity for basketball and renovations being completed three years ago, it's hard to see the arena standing tall next to newer facilities in markets like Seattle and Las Vegas can offer.
"In Seattle you have Climate Pledge [Arena]" says Rishe, adding "In Vegas [you have] a yet to be built facility that has been discussed behind the scenes that would be state of the art."
As for fan support, St. Louis has proven to be a great sports town, quickly showing support for City SC and the Battlehawks. Riche however, doesn't think those fan bases are comporable.
"How many of those people are going to go and also be interested in NBA basketball?" Rishe asks, adding basketball games is "gonna to be in an entirely different price point that spring football. So it's a totally different level of investment and its also in many cases a different fan base"
He adds there is a similarity to how St. Louis Rams fans felt when they left and Seattle's NBA history.
"Obviously in Seattle they got the history with the Sonics. The city didn't want to lose the Sonics in first place" said Rishe.
Vegas, Riche points out, is home to the NBA's Summer League, whose bright lights and fast pace would be a good match for the NBA. St. Louis was once home to the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis and then-St. Louis (now Atlanta) Hawks, the latter winning an NBA Championship in 1958. Riche doesn't think that fan base from half a century ago is relevant today.
"Those Spirit of St. Louis fans from the '70s that's a long time ago and a lot of those folks may not be with us any longer, and if they are they may not be at a point where they are willing to make an investment"
So in short from Rishe.
"Extremely unlikely, probably 99.9% chance of St. Louis not getting a NBA franchise." says Rishe