List of relocated NBA teams
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional men's basketball league, consisting of 30 teams in North America—29 in the United States and one in Canada . The NBA was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[1] It adopted the name National Basketball Association at the start of the 1949–50 season when it absorbed the National Basketball League (NBL).[1] The NBA is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) as the national governing body for basketball in the country.[2] The league is considered to be one of the four major professional sports leagues of North America.[3]
Relocated teams
The 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 relocated again
Team
First
Last
Relocated to
Seasons
Win%
PA
C
Main reason
Ref
Tri-Cities Blackhawks
1949
1951
Milwaukee Hawks *
2
.409
1
0
Small city
Milwaukee Hawks ^
1951
1955
St. Louis Hawks *
4
.324
0
0
Fort Wayne Pistons
1948
1957
Detroit Pistons
9
.506
8
0
Small city
Rochester Royals
1948
1957
Cincinnati Royals *
9
.576
7
1
Lack of profitability
Minneapolis Lakers ^
1948
1960
Los Angeles Lakers
12
.545
11
5
Poor attendance
[5]
Philadelphia Warriors ^
1946
1962
San Francisco Warriors
16
.506
12
2
Sold to San Francisco owner
Chicago Zephyrs ^
1961
1963
Baltimore Bullets *
2
.269
0
0
Syracuse Nationals
1949
1963
Philadelphia 76ers
14
.569
14
1
St. Louis Hawks
1955
1968
Atlanta Hawks
13
.550
12
1
Sold to Atlanta owners
New Jersey Americans
1967
1968
New York Nets *
1
0
0
Overbooked play location
San Diego Rockets ^
1967
1971
Houston Rockets
4
.363
1
0
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
[6]
Cincinnati Royals
1957
1972
Kansas City–Omaha Kings *
15
.467
7
0
Baltimore Bullets
1963
1973
Capital Bullets §
10
.493
7
0
The Capital Bullets were later renamed Washington Bullets (1974–1997) and Washington Wizards (since 1997). Despite relocating, the team would play a few home games in Baltimore from 1989 to 1997.
Kansas City–Omaha Kings
1972
1975
Kansas City Kings *
3
.459
1
0
Moved all games to Kansas City
New York Nets
1968
1977
New Jersey Nets *
8
1
0
NBA-ABA Merger, poor attendance
Buffalo Braves
1970
1978
San Diego Clippers *
8
.395
3
0
Sale to California owner Irv Levin
New Orleans Jazz ^
1974
1979
Utah Jazz
5
.393
0
0
Lack of profitability
San Diego Clippers
1978
1984
Los Angeles Clippers
6
.378
0
0
Sold to Donald Sterling , who wanted the team in his hometown and eventually succeeded in relocation. In 2024, the Clippers' NBA G League team moved from Ontario, California to San Diego, adopting the San Diego Clippers branding.
Kansas City Kings
1975
1985
Sacramento Kings
10
.465
4
0
Low attendance
Vancouver Grizzlies
1995
2001
Memphis Grizzlies
6
.220
0
0
Financial problems caused by low attendance and the weak Canadian dollar; sold to Michael Heisley with the intention of moving the team to Memphis .
[7]
Charlotte Hornets ^
1988
2002
New Orleans Hornets *
14
.485
7
0
Declining attendance, reported lack of profitability, and the declining popularity of owner George Shinn. In 2014, the franchise's history in Charlotte was given to the new Charlotte franchise (formerly the Bobcats) which started play in 2004, thus retconning the original relocation as a suspension of the Charlotte NBA team and the expansion of the New Orleans NBA team.
[8] [9]
New Orleans Hornets ^
2002
2005
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets *
3
.512
2
0
Damage to the New Orleans metropolitan area caused by Hurricane Katrina forced the Hornets to play most of their home games in Oklahoma City .
[10] [11]
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets ^
2005
2007
New Orleans Hornets
2
.470
0
0
The Hornets returned to New Orleans for the 2007–08 season after repairs to the team's home arena were completed.
[12]
Seattle SuperSonics
1967
2008
Oklahoma City Thunder
41
.524
22
1
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 .
[13] [14]
New Orleans Hornets
2007
2013
New Orleans Pelicans
6
.480
3
0
The team was renamed the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013.
New Jersey Nets
1977
2012
Brooklyn Nets
35
-
-
-
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
Toronto Raptors +
1995
2020
Toronto Raptors (Tampa)
25
-
-
-
The Raptors played their home games at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida , home of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League during the 2020–21 season, as a result of COVID-19 cross-border travel restrictions imposed by the Government of Canada .
[15]
+Active franchise
See also
References
^ a b Goldaper, Sam (17 April 2006). "The First Game" . NBA.com . NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved 6 July 2009 .
^ "Inside USA Basketball" . USA Basketball . Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved 4 July 2009 .
^ Pennington, Bill (April 4, 2003). "Drugs; Anti-Doping Executive Plans to Prod Pro Leagues" . The New York Times . Retrieved July 6, 2009 .
^ "Team Index" . Sport Reference. Retrieved 25 May 2011 .
^ "History of the Lakers" . Lakers.com . NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved February 3, 2016 .
^ "Owners, fans waited years before Rockets took off" . Houston Chronicle . September 16, 2001. Retrieved February 3, 2016 .
^ Beamish, Mike (February 19, 2011). "NBA dreams rekindled, 10 years after Grizzlies' demise" . The Vancouver Sun . Archived from the original on February 23, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2016 .
^ "HORNETS: Move to New Orleans Approved" . www.nba.com . Archived from the original on 5 August 2002. Retrieved 12 January 2022 .
^ "Charlotte Hornets Name Returns to Carolinas" . Hornets.com . NBA Media Ventures, LLC. May 20, 2014. Archived from the original on May 22, 2014.
^ "Hornets to Play in Oklahoma City" . Pelicans.com . NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 21, 2005. Retrieved September 21, 2005 .
^ Smith, Jimmy (September 21, 2005). "The buzz is Oklahoma City – Hornets will play 35 games there, six at the PMAC". New Orleans Times-Picayune . p. C5.
^ Longman, Jeré (November 1, 2007). "Putting the New Orleans in the New Orleans Hornets" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 3, 2016 .
^ "NBA Commissioner David Stern Statement on Settlement Between Sonics and the City of Seattle" . NBA.com . NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 2, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2019 .
^ Brunner, Jim; Pian Chan, Sharon (July 2, 2008). "Sonics, city reach settlement" . The Seattle Times . Retrieved February 6, 2019 .
^ "Toronto Raptors to Start Season in Tampa" . SI.com . November 20, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020 .