Battle for next NBL team: Officials weigh up costs and venues for a second Sydney side

The NBL is being swamped with expansion interest – and the league is making sure it does its homework to make the right move.

The battle for the next NBL team is heating up, with the league discussing potential inner-city venues for a second Sydney team to enter the competition in 2026. Photo: Matt King/Getty Images.

The battle for the next NBL team is heating up, with the league discussing potential inner-city venues for a second Sydney franchise to enter the competition in 2026.

Expansion interest in Australian domestic basketball has reached a high after NBL boss Larry Kestelman declared he is aiming to introduce three to five new teams in the next three years.

The league has been flooded with national and international inquiries to join the globally respected competition, including Canberra, the Gold Coast and Singapore.

It comes as Code Sports can reveal Kestelman has recently visited Sydney to ramp up planning for a second NBL team in the Harbour City.

The league boss met with key figures to discuss costings and potential venues to host a new franchise.

✘ marks the spot

After NBL owner Larry Kestelman said he's targeting "13-15 clubs" in the NBL in the near future, where would you like to see a new team land? 🛫 pic.twitter.com/G9nGjLF4ZE

— NBL (@NBL) June 18, 2023

It’s understood the NBL’s preference is for the new Sydney team to be based in the city and have identified a host of locations as potential options.

These include the International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour.

The venue, which successfully hosted a FAST4 Tennis event involving global superstar Rafael Nadal in 2017, seats up to 8,000 people.

There is currently no basketball floor, but talks are underway about the practicality of inserting a court at the venue.

Technology billionaire and sports lover Mike Cannon-Brookes also remains an option for the NBL.

The second Sydney team is yet to secure a financial backer, but Cannon-Brookes has previously indicated a desire to be involved in Australian basketball alongside his minority ownership with NBA franchise the Utah Jazz.

However, ownership rules stipulate the tech businessman can’t have financial stakes in the NBA and the NBL.

Brookes, though, could only look to invest through infrastructure.

He has previously been linked to financially supporting the building of a basketball venue above Central Station in Sydney city, which remains an option for the NBL.

Under a current lockout agreement, a second Sydney team can’t enter the NBL until the 2026/2027 season.

Kings owner and chairman Paul Smith is supportive of more competition for the men in purple and gold, but only at the right time.

Could the Sydney Kings have a local rival in the NBL in 2026? Photo: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images.

Smith has denied league advancements for a second Sydney team before the lockout ends in 2025, citing significant “business challenges”.

“We bought the team on the basis it would be a 10-year lockout,” Smith said on the Basketball Show in December last year.

“Ending the lockout early, there are a lot of complex issues related to that, a lot of commercial issues and real estate issues as well.

“Where does the team play and what are the boundaries, in terms of marketing and other elements that need to be clarified.

“Right now, we are full steam ahead on our business model and that is to see a team arriving for the 2026/2027 season and we’re happy for that.”

Originally published as Battle for next NBL team: Officials weigh up costs and venues for a second Sydney side