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Kawhi Leonard, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, LeBron James, and Donovan Mitchell currently play in the Eastern Conference.
Simplified Text
Kawhi Leonard, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, LeBron James, and Donovan Mitchell are players in the NBA's Eastern Conference.
Confidence Score
0.900
Claim Maker
The author
Context Type
News Article
Context Details
{
    "players": "Kawhi Leonard, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell",
    "conference": "Eastern Conference",
    "organization": "NBA"
}
Subject Tags
NBA Eastern Conference Players
UUID
010bc7db-ac28-40ec-873a-2bd39ad743e7
Vector Index
✗ No vector
Created
September 30, 2026 at 3:04 PM (1 week ago)
Last Updated
September 30, 2026 at 3:04 PM (1 week ago)

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Screenshot of https://nytimes.com/athletic/7626277/2026/09/28/minnesota-timberwolves-nba-expansion-eastern-conference
The NBA expansion train appears to be rolling, with Seattle and Las Vegas looming as the 31st and 32nd teams in the league. Commissioner Adam Silver did nothing to deter that notion at the latest Board of Governors meetings in New York.While the NBA still has a lot to sift through before officially launching a plan, most people throughout the league are operating under the assumption that it is when, not if, the green light arrives.Expanding to those two cities would require the league to realign and send one team from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference. The Minnesota Timberwolves have been interested in moving conferences for decades, and there is now a realistic chance to do so. The NBA would have to choose them over the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans, the other two natural candidates from a geographic perspective, but a one-out-of-three chance isn’t bad.There’s a lot that goes into the debate and process of switching conferences. While the Wolves believe they are in the mix, there are no signs from them or the league that any decisions have been made on that front. Silver has imposed a deadline of the end of this calendar year to have a concrete answer on expansion.The NBA’s expansion committee will ultimately decide who goes to the East if there is expansion. For the Timberwolves, there are a lot of things to consider on both sides of the equation.NBA expansion is coming, but not without big questionsRobert Mays and Zena KeitaThe argumentMemphis and New Orleans are both further east on the map than Minnesota, so if the league relies strictly on the compass rose, the Wolves will be out of luck.Their best argument comes in how the divisions could be organized. Our Zach Harper examined some of the possibilities last season. Moving east would make the Wolves a much more natural fit with the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers or Detroit Pistons in a new Central Division that would mimic the NFC North.The Wolves routinely are in the top two or three when it comes to miles traveled per season because they are in the West and their Northwest Division opponents — the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz — are so far away. None of those trips are easily drivable for Wolves fans, and the Thunder are the only team in the Central Time Zone, meaning every other division road game is at least an hour later than normal.What You Should Read NextThe latest on NBA expansion to Las Vegas, Seattle as latest bidding deadline passesWhile the NBA is making progress toward expansion, questions still remain about where the league stands and what is left to be decided.Of course, putting the Wolves in the East would mean some other holes in the dam would start leaking. Trying to group the rest of the East gets somewhat complicated when eyeing a place for the Washington Wizards. In the West, putting the Grizzlies with the Jazz, Thunder and Nuggets would be just as tough on travel as having Minnesota there.Maybe the San Antonio Spurs, OKC, Denver and Utah in one division with the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans and Memphis in another?There is a lot to think about.The prosThe Timberwolves have long hoped for a relocation for several reasons, many of them rooted around the fan experience. Being in the West means the overwhelming majority of their road games start at 8 p.m. local time or later, not ideal for work and school nights. It also means the first few rounds of the playoffs can have incredibly late home starts as well, because the league generally starts with an early game in the Eastern Conference before a late-night West tipoff.During the Wolves’ most recent playoff runs, several home games started past 9 p.m. locally, an absurdly late time for the average fan.Being in the East would mean the bulk of their games would be in the Central or Eastern time zones, which would open the door for more children to watch without being shooed to bed at halftime.There is also something intriguing about grouping with more natural, geographic rivals. The Bucks, Bulls and Pistons (if that were the grouping) would basically recreate the NFC North. Since football is the driving force in sports these days, replicating that kind of setup could only help things. A weekend road trip from the Twin Cities to Milwaukee and Chicago is very doable, and the proximity could make for a little more contempt, which usually isn’t a bad thing in sports.The Wolves moving conferences could also benefit the NBA by putting another top-10 player in the East. Anthony Edwards would join Jalen Brunson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Cade Cunningham in a conference that has deepened its star power. Kawhi Leonard, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, LeBron James and Donovan Mitchell also call the East home.From a business and marketing standpoint, playing the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics more often would be attractive, but playing fewer games against the glamour-market Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors would likely mean a draw at best.How do NBA expansion teams get their players?Tifo SportsThe consThe grass is not always greener on the other side. Moving east would immediately mute what has become one of the most intense rivalries in the league.No two teams have played more games over the last four years than the Timberwolves and Nuggets. They have had epic playoff clashes, compelling regular-season games and plenty of trash talk along the way.While there has been only one playoff meeting with the Thunder so far, the two franchises have developed a palpable mutual dislike in recent years.As enticing as it would be to be back in a conference with geographic rivalries, it would take time and real stakes in their meetings to build up the kind of energy the Wolves have with the Nuggets and Thunder. In an era lacking competitive disdain between teams like years past, the tension is refreshing. Saying goodbye to that would be no small thing.For the players, it would mean fewer trips to Los Angeles, Phoenix and Texas in the frigid winter months. Sure, you still get Miami and Orlando as vacation vibes in the East, but it’s not quite the same, is it?Wolves fans have long hoped to move to the East for competitive reasons. The West has been the stronger conference ever since Michael Jordan left the Bulls, and there were plenty of years in the Kevin Garnett era that the Wolves looked at their first-round opponent and wished they were in the East, where the road was much smoother. Even though the supremacy has been out West for the entirety of this century, using that as logic is a little dangerous given how quickly things can turn.There are signs that the balance of power is at least evening out a bit. There has been a different champion for the last eight years. Four have come from the West, with four hailing from the East.The top of the West is still daunting, with Oklahoma City and San Antonio both boasting young rosters that aren’t going anywhere. The best player in the world is still in Denver. Luka Dončić is a Laker. Dallas and Utah both seem to have the makings of something promising.But the East isn’t the pushover it once was. Be careful what you wish for.Jon Krawczynski is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA and the Minnesota Vikings. Jon joined The Athletic after 16 years at The Associated Press, where he covered three Olympics, three NBA Finals, two Ryder Cups and the 2009 NFC Championship Game.Follow Sep 30, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports termsPlay today's puzzleWhat did you think of this story?MEHSOLIDAWESOME
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1 week ago
https://nytimes.com/athletic/7626277/2026/09/28/minnesota-timberwolves-nba-expansion-eastern-conference

With NBA expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas imminent, the league faces realignment. The Minnesota Timberwolves are strong candidates to move to the Eastern Conference, a shift with both pros and cons for the team and the league.

NBA Expansion Minnesota Timberwolves Conference Realignment Basketball Sports Business Team Relocation

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