Template:SHORTDESC:
The following is a timeline of the organizational changes in the National Basketball Association (NBA), including contractions, expansions, relocations, and divisional realignment. The league was formed as the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946 and took its current name in 1949, when it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL). The histories of NBA franchises that were also members of the American Basketball League (ABL), NBL, National Pro Basketball League (NPBL), and American Basketball Association (ABA) are also included.
<timeline>
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Period = from:1923 till:2026
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at:1946 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #BAA forms
at:1949 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #BAA and NBL merge to form NBA
at:1976 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #NBA-ABA merger
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textcolor:black
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text:"Ind^Independent team"
text:ABL^American Basketball League, active 1925–55"
text:"NBL^National Basketball League, active 1937–49"
text:"NPBL^National Pro Basketball League, active 1950–51"
text:"ABA^American Basketball Association, active 1967–76"
text:"1946^BAA forms; merged with NBL in 1949 to form the NBA"
text:"1976^NBA-ABA merger"
text:"•^Championship season"
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Define $DownRightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,-10)
Define $NBL = text:"(NBL)"
Define $BAA = text:"(BAA)"
Define $ABA = text:"(ABA)"
Define $NPBL = text:"(NPBL)"
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-- Original BAA Teams bar:Celtics
bar:Stags
bar:Rebels
bar:Falcons
bar:Knicks
bar:Warriors
bar:Ironmen
bar:Steamrollers
bar:Bombers
bar:Huskies
bar:Capitols
-- Absorbed from ABL bar:Bullets
-- NBL teams absorbed 1948 bar:Pistons
bar:Jets
bar:Lakers
bar:Kings
-- NBL teams merged 1949 bar:Packers
bar:NuggetsI
bar:Olympians
bar:Sheboygan
bar:76ers
bar:Hawks
bar:Waterloo
1960s bar:Wizards
bar:Bulls
bar:Rockets
bar:Thunder
bar:Bucks
bar:Suns
early 70s bar:Clippers
bar:Cavs
bar:Trailblazers
bar:Jazz
ABA bar:NuggetsII
bar:Pacers
bar:Nets
bar:Spurs
late 1970s-80s bar:Mavericks
bar:Hornets
bar:Heat
bar:Magic
bar:Timberwolves
1990s+ bar:Raptors
bar:Grizzlies
bar:Pelicans
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-- ABA Championships at:1970 bar:Pacers $champ $t:black mark:(line, notpro)
at:1972 bar:Pacers $champ $t:black mark:(line, notpro)
at:1973 bar:Pacers $champ $t:black mark:(line, notpro)
at:1974 bar:Nets $champ $t:black mark:(line, notpro)
at:1976 bar:Nets $champ $t:black mark:(line, notpro)
-- Defunct teams bar:Falcons from:1946 till:1947 text:"Detroit Falcons" $Left color:red
bar:Rebels from:1946 till:1947 text:"Cleveland Rebels" $Left color:maroon
bar:Steamrollers from:1946 till:1949 text:"Providence Steamrollers" $Left color:redorange
bar:Ironmen from:1946 till:1947 text:"Pittsburgh Ironmen" $Left color:silver
bar:Huskies from:1946 till:1947 text:"Toronto Huskies" $Left color:blue
bar:Waterloo from:1948 till:1949 $Left text:"Waterloo Hawks (NBL)"
bar:Waterloo from:1949 till:1950 $Up color:iceblue
bar:Waterloo from:1950 till:1951 $Right $NPBL
bar:Capitols from:1946 till:1950 text:"Washington Capitols" $Left color:green
bar:Bombers from:1946 till:1950 text:"St Louis Bombers" $Left color:red
bar:NuggetsI from:1948 till:1949 $Left $NBL
bar:NuggetsI from:1949 till:1950 text:"Denver Nuggets" $Right color:gold
bar:Olympians from:1949 till:1953 text:"Indianapolis Olympians" $Left color:blue
bar:Stags from:1946 till:1950 text:"Chicago Stags" $Left color:blue
bar:Jets from:1937 till:1948 $NBL
bar:Jets from:1948 till:1949 text:"Indianapolis Jets" $Right color:red
bar:Packers from:1946 till:1949 text:"Anderson Packers (NBL)" $Left
bar:Packers from:1949 till:1950 color:darkred
bar:Packers from:1950 till:1951 $NPBL $right
bar:Sheboygan from:1938 till:1949 $NBL $Left
bar:Sheboygan from:1949 till:1950 text:"Sheboygan Red Skins" $Left color:darkred
bar:Sheboygan from:1950 till:1951 $UpLeftMargin $NPBL
bar:Sheboygan from:1951 till:1952 $Ind $DownRight
bar:Bullets from:1944 till:1947 text:"(ABL)"
bar:Bullets from:1947 till:1954 text:"Baltimore~Bullets" $Up color:blue $t:gold
-- Current teams bar:76ers from:1946 till:1949 $NBL
bar:76ers from:1949 till:1963 text:"Syracuse Nationals" color:red $t:darkblue
bar:76ers from:1963 till:end text:"Philadelphia 76ers" $RightIn color:royalblue $t:White
bar:Bucks from:1968 till:end text:"Milwaukee Bucks" $DownRightIn color:green $t:white
bar:Bulls from:1966 till:end text:"Chicago Bulls" $RightIn color:red $t:black
bar:Celtics from:1946 till:end text:"Boston Celtics" $RightIn color:green $t:white
bar:Cavs from:1970 till:end text:"Cleveland Cavaliers" $DownRightIn color:burgundy $t:gold
bar:Clippers from:1970 till:1978 text:"Buffalo Braves" color:lightblue $t:black
bar:Clippers from:1978 till:1984 text:"San Diego~Clippers" $Up color:redorange $t:blue
bar:Clippers from:1984 till:end text:"Los Angeles Clippers" $RightIn color:navy $t:white
bar:Grizzlies from:1995 till:2001 text:"Vancouver~Grizzlies" $Up color:teal $t:black
bar:Grizzlies from:2001 till:end text:"Memphis Grizzlies" $RightIn color:lightblue $t:darkblue
bar:Hawks from:1946 till:1949 text:"Tri-Cities Blackhawks (NBL)" $t:black $Left
bar:Hawks from:1949 till:1951 color:navy
bar:Hawks from:1951 till:1955 text:"Milwaukee~Hawks" $up color:royalblue $t:iceblue
bar:Hawks from:1955 till:1968 text:"St Louis Hawks" color:red $t:white
bar:Hawks from:1968 till:end text:"Atlanta Hawks" $RightIn color:red2 $t:yellow
bar:Heat from:1988 till:end text:"Miami Heat" $RightIn color:darkred $t:white
bar:Hornets from:1988 till:2002 text:"Charlotte Hornets" color:panthers_teal $t:vikings_purple
bar:Hornets from:2004 till:2014 text:"Charlotte Bobcats" color:orange $t:darkblue
bar:Hornets from:2014 till:end text:"Charlotte Hornets" color:vikings_purple $t:panthers_teal
bar:Jazz from:1974 till:1979 text:"New Orleans Jazz" $Left color:purple $t:green
bar:Jazz from:1979 till:end text:"Utah Jazz" $RightIn color:vikings_purple $t:white
bar:Kings from:1923 till:1945 text:"Rochester Seagrams (Ind)"
bar:Kings from:1945 till:1948 $LeftMargin $NBL
bar:Kings from:1948 till:1957 color:blue $t:white text:"Rochester Royals"
bar:Kings from:1957 till:1972 text:"Cincinnati Royals" color:darkblue $t:white
bar:Kings from:1972 till:1975 $UpRightMargin text:"KC-Omaha~Kings" color:red $t:blue
bar:Kings from:1975 till:1985 text:"Kansas City Kings" color:blue $t:red
bar:Kings from:1985 till:end text:"Sacramento Kings" $RightIn color:purple $t:lgray2
bar:Knicks from:1946 till:end text:"New York Knicks" $RightIn color:royalblue $t:orange
bar:Lakers from:1947 till:1948 $Left $NBL
bar:Lakers from:1948 till:1960 text:"Minneapolis Lakers" $t:yellow color:iceblue
bar:Lakers from:1960 till:end text:"Los Angeles Lakers" $DownRightIn color:gold $t:purple
bar:Mavericks from:1980 till:end text:"Dallas Mavericks" $RightIn color:royalblue $t:silver
bar:Nets from:1967 till:1968 $Left text:"New Jersey Americans (ABA)"
bar:Nets from:1968 till:1976 text:"New York Nets (ABA)"
bar:Nets from:1976 till:1977 $UpLeft color:red
bar:Nets from:1977 till:2012 text:"New Jersey Nets" color:blue $t:white
bar:Nets from:2012 till:end text:"Brooklyn Nets" $RightIn color:black textcolor:white
bar:NuggetsII from:1967 till:1974 $Left text:"Denver Rockets (ABA)
bar:NuggetsII from:1974 till:1976 $ABA
bar:NuggetsII from:1976 till:end text:"Denver Nuggets" color:navy $t:gold $DownRightIn
bar:Magic from:1989 till:end text:"Orlando Magic" $RightIn color:blue $t:white
bar:Pacers from:1967 till:1976 $ABA
bar:Pacers from:1976 till:end text:"Indiana Pacers" color:navy textcolor:yellow $RightIn
bar:Pelicans from:2002 till:2005 text:"New Orleans Hornets" $Left color:gold $t:vikings_purple
bar:Pelicans from:2005 till:2007 text:"NO/OKC~Hornets" $UpRightMargin color:panthers_teal $t:white
bar:Pelicans from:2007 till:2013 text:"New Orleans~Hornets" $Up color:gold $t:vikings_purple
bar:Pelicans from:2013 till:end text:"New Orleans~Pelicans" $UpRightIn color:navy $t:white
bar:Pistons from:1937 till:1941 $RightMargin text:"Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons (Ind)"
bar:Pistons from:1941 till:1948 $NBL
bar:Pistons from:1948 till:1957 text:"Ft. Wayne Pistons" color:red $t:blue
bar:Pistons from:1957 till:end text:"Detroit Pistons" $RightIn color:royalblue $t:red
bar:Raptors from:1995 till:end text:"Toronto Raptors" $DownRightIn color:red $t:white
bar:Rockets from:1967 till:1971 text:"San Diego Rockets" $Left color:green $t:green
bar:Rockets from:1971 till:end text:"Houston Rockets" $RightIn color:red $t:yellow
bar:Spurs from:1967 till:1973 $Left text:"Dallas Chaparrals (ABA)"
bar:Spurs from:1973 till:1976 $ABA
bar:Spurs from:1976 till:end text:"San Antonio Spurs" $RightIn color:black textcolor:silver
bar:Suns from:1968 till:end text:"Phoenix Suns" $RightIn color:purple $t:orange
bar:Timberwolves from:1989 till:end text:"Minnesota Timberwolves" $RightIn color:lions_lightblue $t:white
bar:Thunder from:1967 till:2008 text:"Seattle SuperSonics" color:green $t:yellow
bar:Thunder from:2008 till:end text:"Oklahoma City Thunder" $RightIn color:orange $t:darkblue
bar:Trailblazers from:1970 till:end text:"Portland Trail Blazers" $RightIn color:black $t:red
bar:Warriors from:1946 till:1962 text:"Philadelphia Warriors" color:blue $t:darkred
bar:Warriors from:1962 till:1971 text:"San Francisco~Warriors" $up color:gold $t:blue
bar:Warriors from:1971 till:end text:"Golden State Warriors" $DownRightIn color:blue $t:yellow
bar:Wizards from:1961 till:1962 text:"Chicago Packers" $Left color:navy $t:orange
bar:Wizards from:1962 till:1963 text:"Chicago~Zephyrs" $UpLeftMargin color:gold $t:white
bar:Wizards from:1963 till:1973 text:"Baltimore~Bullets" $Up color:orange $t:blue
bar:Wizards from:1973 till:1974 text:"Capital~Bullets" $Up color:darkblue $t:white
bar:Wizards from:1974 till:1997 text:"Washington Bullets" color:red $t:blue
bar:Wizards from:1997 till:end text:"Washington Wizards" $RightIn color:darkblue $t:red
-- championships at:1947 bar:Warriors $champ mark:(line, blue)
at:1948 bar:Bullets $champ mark:(line, blue)
at:1949 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, iceblue)
at:1950 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, iceblue)
at:1951 bar:Kings $champ mark:(line, blue)
at:1952 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, iceblue)
at:1953 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, iceblue)
at:1954 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, iceblue)
at:1955 bar:76ers $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1956 bar:Warriors $champ mark:(line, blue)
at:1957 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1958 bar:Hawks $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1959 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1960 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1961 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1962 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1963 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1964 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1965 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1966 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1967 bar:76ers $champ mark:(line, royalblue)
at:1968 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1969 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1970 bar:Knicks $champ mark:(line, royalblue)
at:1971 bar:Bucks $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1972 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:1973 bar:Knicks $champ mark:(line, royalblue)
at:1974 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1975 bar:Warriors $champ mark:(line, blue)
at:1976 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1977 bar:Trailblazers $champ mark:(line, black)
at:1978 bar:Wizards $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1979 bar:Thunder $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1980 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:1981 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1982 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:1983 bar:76ers $champ mark:(line, royalblue)
at:1984 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1985 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:1986 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:1987 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:1988 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:1989 bar:Pistons $champ mark:(line, royalblue)
at:1990 bar:Pistons $champ mark:(line, royalblue)
at:1991 bar:Bulls $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1992 bar:Bulls $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1993 bar:Bulls $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1994 bar:Rockets $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1995 bar:Rockets $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1996 bar:Bulls $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1997 bar:Bulls $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1998 bar:Bulls $champ mark:(line, red)
at:1999 bar:Spurs $champ mark:(line, black)
at:2000 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:2001 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:2002 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:2003 bar:Spurs $champ mark:(line, black)
at:2004 bar:Pistons $champ mark:(line, royalblue)
at:2005 bar:Spurs $champ mark:(line, black)
at:2006 bar:Heat $champ mark:(line, darkred)
at:2007 bar:Spurs $champ mark:(line, black)
at:2008 bar:Celtics $champ mark:(line, green)
at:2009 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:2010 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:2011 bar:Mavericks $champ mark:(line, royalblue)
at:2012 bar:Heat $champ mark:(line, darkred)
at:2013 bar:Heat $champ mark:(line, darkred)
at:2014 bar:Spurs $champ mark:(line, black)
at:2015 bar:Warriors $champ mark:(line, blue)
at:2016 bar:Cavs $champ mark:(line, burgundy)
at:2017 bar:Warriors $champ mark:(line, blue)
at:2018 bar:Warriors $champ mark:(line, blue)
at:2019 bar:Raptors $champ mark:(line, red)
at:2020 bar:Lakers $champ mark:(line, gold)
at:2021 bar:Bucks $champ mark:(line, green)
at:2022 bar:Warriors $champ mark:(line, blue)
at:2023 bar:NuggetsII $champ mark: (line, navy)
at:2024 bar:Celtics $champ mark: (line, green)
at:2025 bar:Thunder $champ mark: (line, orange)
</timeline>
The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was established with 11 teams (divided into Eastern and Western Divisions).
Team folded after this season †
The Cleveland Rebels, Detroit Falcons, Pittsburgh Ironmen, and Toronto Huskies folded.
The Baltimore Bullets joined from the ABL and were placed in the Western Division.
The Washington Capitols moved to the Western Division. The Fort Wayne Pistons, Indianapolis Jets, Minneapolis Lakers, and Rochester Royals all joined from the NBL and were placed in the Western Division.
The Washington Capitols moved back to the Eastern Division.
The Baltimore Bullets moved to the Eastern Division.
First season in BAA *
Only season in the league §
Folded after this season †
The Indianapolis Jets and Providence Steamrollers folded.
The BAA merged with the NBL to form the NBA.
The BAA teams from the Western Division were moved to a newly created Central Division.
The Anderson Packers, Denver Nuggets, Sheboygan Red Skins, Syracuse Nationals, Tri-Cities Blackhawks, and Waterloo Hawks joined from the NBL. All were placed in the Western Division, except the Nationals, who were placed in the Eastern Division.
The Indianapolis Olympians joined as an expansion team and were placed in the Western Division.
Team merged from NBL ^
First season in NBA *
Folded after this season †
Team merged from the NBL, but then jumped to the NPBL after this season §
Team merged from the NBL, but then folded after this season ^†
The Chicago Stags, Denver Nuggets, and St. Louis Bombers folded.
The Anderson Packers, Sheboygan Red Skins, and Waterloo Hawks transferred to the NPBL .
The Pistons, Lakers, and Royals moved back to the Western Division and the Central Division was eliminated.
The Washington Capitols folded mid-season.
Folded midway through this season †
Folded after the 1952–53 season †
The Indianapolis Olympians folded.
The Baltimore Bullets folded after 14 games into the 1954–55 season.
Folded midway through the 1954–55 season †
The Chicago Packers joined as an expansion team and were placed in the Western Division. The Chicago Bulls joined as an expansion team and were placed in the Western Division.
The Baltimore Bullets moved to the Eastern Division. The Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns joined as expansion teams. The Bucks were placed in the Eastern Division and the Suns in the Western Division.
The St. Louis Hawks relocated to Atlanta to become the Atlanta Hawks .
1968–69 is first season in NBA *
The league realigned into the Eastern and Western Conferences, with two new divisions each. The Atlantic and Central Divisions were added to the Eastern Conference, while the Midwest and Pacific Divisions were added to the Western Conference.
The Buffalo Braves , Cleveland Cavaliers , and Portland Trail Blazers joined as expansion teams. The Braves were placed in the Atlantic Division, the Cavaliers in the Central Division, and the Trail Blazers in the Pacific Division.
While most of the remaining teams were placed in the conference of the same name as their former division, the Atlanta Hawks moved from the Western Division to the Eastern Conference, while the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks moved from the Eastern Division to the Western Conference. The Cincinnati Royals left Cincinnati and split their home games between Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska , becoming the Kansas City–Omaha Kings. They moved from the Central to the Midwest Division.
The Houston Rockets moved from the Pacific to the Central Division.
The Phoenix Suns moved from the Midwest to the Pacific Division. The Baltimore Bullets relocated to the Washington, D.C. suburb of Landover, Maryland to become the Capital Bullets. The Kansas City–Omaha Kings abandoned playing in Omaha to become the Kansas City Kings. The Buffalo Braves relocated to San Diego to become the San Diego Clippers and moved from the Atlantic to the Pacific Division.
The Detroit Pistons moved from the Midwest to the Central Division.
The Washington Bullets moved from the Central to the Atlantic Division. The New Orleans Jazz relocated to Salt Lake City , Utah to become the Utah Jazz , and moved from the Central to the Midwest Division.
The Indiana Pacers moved from the Midwest to the Central Division. The Dallas Mavericks are enfranchised as the league's 23rd team and placed in the Midwest Division.
The two other Texas teams, the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs, moved from the Central to the Midwest Division to join the Mavericks.
The Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks moved from the Midwest to the Central Division.
1980–81 is first season in NBA *
The Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat are enfranchised as the league's 24th and 25th teams. The Hornets are placed in the Atlantic Division and the Heat in the Midwest Division.
The Sacramento Kings moved from the Midwest to the Pacific Division. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic are enfranchised as the league's 26th and 27th teams. The Timberwolves are placed in the Midwest Division and the Magic in the Central Division.
The Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat switched conferences. The Hornets moved from the Atlantic to the Midwest Division, while the Heat moved from the Midwest to the Atlantic Division. The Charlotte Hornets moved from the Midwest to the Central Division, while the Orlando Magic moved from the Central to the Midwest Division. The Orlando Magic moved from the Midwest to the Atlantic Division to reduce travel after spending the previous season in the Western Conference. The NBA expands into Canada as the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies are enfranchised as the league's 28th and 29th teams. The Raptors are placed in the Central Division and the Grizzlies in the Midwest Division.
1995–96 is first season in NBA *
The Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans to become the New Orleans Hornets .
The Charlotte Bobcats are enfranchised as the league's 30th team.
The league realigned to create three divisions in each conference with five teams in each division.
The New Orleans Hornets switch conferences, moving from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference. Due to the damages caused by Hurricane Katrina , the Hornets split their home games between New Orleans and Oklahoma City for two seasons, and thus officially play as the New Orleans–Oklahoma City Hornets. With damages caused by Hurricane Katrina fully repaired, the Hornets returned to New Orleans full-time. The Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma Citytand renamed the Oklahoma City Thunder .
The New Jersey Nets relocated to Brooklyn to become the Brooklyn Nets .
The New Orleans Hornets are renamed the New Orleans Pelicans .
The Charlotte Bobcats are renamed the Charlotte Hornets after the New Orleans Pelicans agree to return the original Charlotte Hornets' name, history, and records from 1988 to 2002 to the city of Charlotte.[ 1]
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1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
