List of relocated NBA teams
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Teams with the National Basketball Association (NBA), a professional men's basketball league in North America, have moved between cities some two dozen times.[1][2][3] This list contains current franchises in the NBA. It does not include name changes.[4]
| First | First year in original city |
| Last | Last year in original city |
| Win% | Winning percentage |
| PA | NBA Playoffs appearances |
| C | Championship titles |
| ^ | City later received a new franchise |
| * | Later moved again |
Permanent moves
Temporary moves
| Team | First | Last | Moved to | Seasons | Win% | PA | C | Main reason | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Hornets | 2002 | 2005 | Oklahoma City (2005–07) | 3 | .512 | 2 | 0 | [note 9] | [13][14][15] |
| Toronto Raptors | 1995 | 2020 | Tampa (2020–21) | 25 | - | - | 1 | [note 10] | [16] |
See also
Notes
- Sold to Houston ownership group after original owner Robert Breitbard came under financial distress due to tax assessment issues surrounding the arena he developed, the San Diego International Sports Center
- The Capital Bullets were later renamed Washington Bullets (1974–1997) and Washington Wizards (since 1997). Despite moving, the team would play a few home games in Baltimore from 1989 to 1997.
- Sale to California owner Irv Levin, who previously owned the Boston Celtics and swapped franchises with Braves owner John Y. Brown Jr.
- Sold to Donald Sterling, who wanted the team in his hometown and eventually succeeded in moving. In 2024, the Clippers' NBA G League team moved from Ontario, California to San Diego, adopting the San Diego Clippers branding.
- Financial problems caused by low attendance and the weak Canadian dollar; sold to Michael Heisley with the intention of moving the team to Memphis.
- Declining attendance, reported lack of profitability, and the declining popularity of owner George Shinn. This move was reversed retroactively in 2014 when the newly rebranded Charlotte Hornets (founded as the Bobcats in 2004) was awarded the history and records of the original Hornets in Charlotte from 1988 to 2002, while retroactively suspending operations from 2002 to 2004. The now-New Orleans Pelicans (rebranded from the Hornets in 2013) kept the history and records of the team in New Orleans from 2002 onward, but were retroactively reclassified as an expansion team.
- Financial problems exacerbated by the failure to provide funds for a new arena in Seattle; sold to Clay Bennett in 2006 who concealed the intention of moving the team to Oklahoma City. As part of a settlement with the city of Seattle, all colors, logos and trademarks associated with the SuperSonics were kept in Seattle. The NBA continues to acknowledge the SuperSonics and Thunder as one continuous franchise; however, the Thunder do not include any pre-2008 statistics and records in their media guides, nor do they acknowledge the SuperSonics' 1979 NBA championship as part of its history. Should a future expansion Seattle franchise join the NBA, that franchise will inherit the pre-2008 statistics and records from the Thunder, while retroactively reclassifying the Thunder as a 2008 expansion team.
- Nets former owner Bruce Ratner bought them to move them to their new arena in Brooklyn, which is within 14 miles of its former arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, both of which are in the same New York Metropolitan Area
- Damage to the New Orleans metropolitan area caused by Hurricane Katrina forced the Hornets to play most of their home games in Oklahoma City as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. The Hornets returned to New Orleans after repairs to the team's home arena were completed. The team was later renamed the New Orleans Pelicans (since 2013) and subsequently returned the Hornets brand to the NBA, which was reclaimed by the new Charlotte team (originally Bobcats) in 2014. Oklahoma City would later be the site for a permanent location, as the Seattle SuperSonics moved there in 2008 and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.
- The Raptors played their home games at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League during their 2020–21 season, as a result of COVID-19 cross-border travel restrictions imposed by the Government of Canada. They returned to Toronto the following season.