How Many NBA Teams Are There? Current Count & Full List

By Sarah Miller · August 20, 2044

There are currently 30 NBA basketball teams, divided equally between the Eastern and Western Conferences, each consisting of 15 teams.

NBA Team Structure Overview

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is composed of 30 professional teams across the United States and one in Canada. This structure has remained consistent since the addition of the Charlotte Hornets in 2004 and the relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008, forming the current roster of franchises.

Conference and Division Breakdown

The 30 teams are split into two conferences: the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference contains three divisions of five teams each. The divisional alignment helps organize the regular-season schedule and playoff qualification process.

Eastern Conference: Atlantic, Central, Southeast Divisions
Western Conference: Northwest, Pacific, Southwest Divisions
Each team plays 82 games in the regular season
Top 6 teams from each conference automatically qualify for playoffs
Next 6 teams compete in the Play-In Tournament for final playoff spots

Current NBA Teams List by Conference

Conference	Division	Team	City	Founded	Arena
Eastern	Atlantic	Boston Celtics	Boston, MA	1946	TD Garden
Eastern	Atlantic	Brooklyn Nets	Brooklyn, NY	1967	Barclays Center
Eastern	Atlantic	New York Knicks	New York, NY	1946	Madison Square Garden
Eastern	Atlantic	Philadelphia 76ers	Philadelphia, PA	1946	Wells Fargo Center
Eastern	Atlantic	Toronto Raptors	Toronto, ON	1995	Scotiabank Arena
Eastern	Central	Chicago Bulls	Chicago, IL	1966	United Center
Eastern	Central	Cleveland Cavaliers	Cleveland, OH	1970	Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Eastern	Central	Detroit Pistons	Detroit, MI	1948	Little Caesars Arena
Eastern	Central	Indiana Pacers	Indianapolis, IN	1967	Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Eastern	Central	Milwaukee Bucks	Milwaukee, WI	1968	Fiserv Forum
Eastern	Southeast	Atlanta Hawks	Atlanta, GA	1946	State Farm Arena
Eastern	Southeast	Charlotte Hornets	Charlotte, NC	1988	Spectrum Center
Eastern	Southeast	Miami Heat	Miami, FL	1988	Kaseya Center
Eastern	Southeast	Orlando Magic	Orlando, FL	1989	Amway Center
Eastern	Southeast	Washington Wizards	Washington, D.C.	1961	Capital One Arena
Western	Northwest	Denver Nuggets	Denver, CO	1967	Ball Arena
Western	Northwest	Minnesota Timberwolves	Minneapolis, MN	1989	Target Center
Western	Northwest	Oklahoma City Thunder	Oklahoma City, OK	1967	Paycom Center
Western	Northwest	Portland Trail Blazers	Portland, OR	1970	Moda Center
Western	Northwest	Utah Jazz	Salt Lake City, UT	1974	Vivint Arena
Western	Pacific	Golden State Warriors	San Francisco, CA	1946	Chase Center
Western	Pacific	LA Clippers	Inglewood, CA	1970	Intuit Dome (2024)
Western	Pacific	Los Angeles Lakers	Los Angeles, CA	1947	Crypto.com Arena
Western	Pacific	Phoenix Suns	Phoenix, AZ	1968	Footprint Center
Western	Pacific	Sacramento Kings	Sacramento, CA	1945	Golden 1 Center
Western	Southwest	Dallas Mavericks	Dallas, TX	1980	American Airlines Center
Western	Southwest	Houston Rockets	Houston, TX	1967	Toyota Center
Western	Southwest	Memphis Grizzlies	Memphis, TN	1995	FedExForum
Western	Southwest	New Orleans Pelicans	New Orleans, LA	2002	Smoothie King Center
Western	Southwest	San Antonio Spurs	San Antonio, TX	1967	Frost Bank Center

Table data source:NBA Official Site, Wikipedia

The table above shows all 30 NBA teams with their respective conferences, divisions, founding years, and home arenas. Notably, the Toronto Raptors are the only non-U.S.-based team, reflecting the league’s international presence. The distribution ensures balanced scheduling and competitive parity during the regular season and postseason.

Historical Expansion and Relocations

The NBA has expanded from its original 11 teams in 1946 to the current 30. Key expansion milestones include:

1988: Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat joined
1989: Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves added
1995: Vancouver Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors entered the league
2004: Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) became the 30th team

Several relocations have also shaped the current lineup, including the New Jersey Nets moving to Brooklyn (2012), the Seattle SuperSonics becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder (2008), and the Vancouver Grizzlies relocating to Memphis (2001).

Future of NBA Expansion

While there are no immediate plans for expansion, cities like Seattle, Las Vegas, and Mexico City are often discussed as potential markets. The NBA has shown interest in global growth, with preseason games held internationally and discussions about a potential European franchise in the long term. Any future expansion would likely bring the total number of teams to 32, allowing for balanced conferences of 16 teams each.

About NBA Teams: Common Questions

How many NBA teams are there in 2025?

As of 2025, there are 30 NBA teams, a number that has remained unchanged since the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) joined in 2004.

Why are there 30 NBA teams?

The NBA reached 30 teams through a series of expansions between 1946 and 2004. The structure supports balanced competition, regional rivalries, and national broadcasting schedules.

Which city has the most NBA teams?

Los Angeles has the most NBA teams with two: the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers. New York City also has two teams: the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets.

Are there any NBA teams outside the United States?

Yes, the Toronto Raptors are based in Canada and are the only non-U.S. team in the NBA, having joined the league in 1995.

Will the NBA add more teams?

The NBA has not announced any new expansion teams yet, but officials have expressed interest in adding teams in cities like Seattle or Las Vegas, potentially increasing the total to 32 in the future.