It's been over 20 years since the NBA expanded, and reports indicate that this summer will change that. According to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, the NBA Board of Governors is likely to vote this summer to expand the league by two teams, with Las Vegas and Seattle the favored cities. This would shift the NBA from 30 teams to 32 and could also lead to conference realignment.
Vegas and Seattle would likely be in the Western Conference, as it makes the most sense geographically, meaning a current West team would have to move to the East.
The New Orleans Pelicans would instantly become a potential favorite to make the move from the West to the East. History is on the Pels side when it comes to this move, as when the Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans in 2002, the franchise spent two seasons in the Eastern Conference and made the playoffs both years. They then shifted to the West when Charlotte was reawarded a franchise in 2004.
From a geographic standpoint, a move back to the East makes sense, as New Orleans is farther East than Chicago, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis, and could be a seamless fit in the Southeast Division alongside the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat.
A move to the East wouldn't just make sense—it would also benefit the Pelicans immensely, as over the last several seasons, the West has been the more dominant conference.
A move could give the Pels an easier path back to relevance
Of the last six NBA champions, four have come from the Western Conference, and over that time, the West has produced, on average, 58.3 percent of the league's top-ten teams. Typically, around six of the league’s top 10 teams come from the West. For a Pelicans team that has hopes of eventually becoming a consistent playoff team, those numbers don't appear helpful.
To put that special 2023-24 season in perspective, where the Pelicans won 49 games and finished as the 7th seed out West: if they were in the East, they would've been the third seed. Which means no play-in tournament, home court advantage in round one, and a much higher chance of going on a deep playoff run. Instead of being swept in round one by a 57-win Oklahoma City Thunder team, which went on to win the finals the following season.
Not to say the results of this season would dramatically change if the Pelicans were in the Eastern Conference, but they would likely be in a better position. While the current roster is poorly constructed and lacks both spacing and defensive personnel, a move East could realistically put the Pelicans one or two moves away from returning to playoff contention rather than continuing to suffer at the bottom of the Western Conference.