Probably the existence of 4 other NBA franchises in its own state

The Clippers should’ve stayed in San Diego. Same as the Chargers.

It would absolutely not do better than Seattle. Fan support is not the reason the Sonics aren’t here anymore. The support the Kraken got as an NHL expansion team is clear evidence that Seattle will have zero issues packing an arena for NBA basketball again, which Seattle fans are desperate for.

San Diego has a touchy history with building stadiums/arenas if I remember correctly. Even the new soccer team is just using the SDSU football stadium

Lakers/Clippers would fight a San Diego expansion/relocation team tooth and nail. Also zero chance San Diego taxpayers chip in a dime for a new arena

send the Clippers back.

You already have 2 LA teams it’s just redundant

One undercommented reason is the TV market situation. San Diego is in LA’s TV market. Expanding into SD does not open up the NBA’s access to that TV market the way Vegas or Seattle would.

San Diego won’t rob taxpayers to pay for an arena.

Presumably most NBA fans who grew up in San Diego grew up as Lakers/Clippers fans. A large majority won’t immediately drop their lifetime fandom for a new local team.

It’s the same reason why Vancouver was a failed expansion attempt. Too much overlap with Sonics fans.

That’s why expansion teams go to places like Minnesota/Toronto/OKC/New Orleans/Vegas. Markets with a lot of fans, but with no local team to root for within a few hundred miles

The city won’t give a prospective owner lots of money.  Cities are now evaluated on how much an owner can fleece from them, and when they fight back, the owner looks to move.

just move the clippers there

SD would not be more viable than Seattle - there’s a clear demand, a history, and more space from other teams.

Vegas… Not sure if I know enough, but I guess they’d be relying on a lot of travel fans. Need to know who is showing up for their NHL team.

Seattle being a relative lock would reduce demand for Vancouver, but my gut says they’d be better equipped than Vegas or SD to create a sustainable local fan base.

Would love a basketball team but there’s literally 4 teams in CA and 2 of them already in SoCal. Also add to the fact that like 80% of people living in SD are transplants from somewhere else, plus the fact that the city is adverse to paying for an area means a team would need to fully fund it themselves while entering an oversaturated market with 0 home team loyalty.

Sure, San Diego can have the Clippers back. Then we can all forget about the Clippers even harder.

There are already a bunch of California teams, two of which are in SoCal. If the NBA were to return it would probably involve the Clips moving back. I doubt they want two teams in LA plus one in SD.

San Diego clippers?

Kroenke building that new NBA-sized arena in San Diego might change that, but still a long shot. 

We tried and failed several times. Despite SDSU and now UCSD playing well, we are not a basketball focused city. Bullets were a long time ago and F the Clippers (just because). In my mid 30s and both were before my time. I think my one uncle who moved to LA decades ago and my grandfather are the only staunch Clippers fans in my family.

We do not have any agreement on moving the airport or expanding public transportation.

We refuse to put public money into a new stadium (see Chargers). So unless they want to play outdoors at Petco or Snap Dragon, or put up with Viejas (ew, no) they have no reasonable place to play

There’s more but overall is just is not going to happen. Lakers Nation reaches all the way to the border 💜💛

Edit: and our current mayor would somehow fuck it up

Bring the clippers back to SD!!!

Seems pretty clear to me San Diego isn’t really interested in having a bunch of sports teams. How many have they shipped out in the past several years?

Honestly I think it’s too close to LA. Plus history isn’t on their side: They’ve lost two NBA franchises (Rockets & Clippers) why give them a third chance?

Today’s pro sports leagues are basically real estate gifts. San Diego seems to have told billionaires to pay for their own franchise real estate (stadiums and practice facilities) so no team owner (current or future) will move a team there.

Seattle probably won’t pay for a stadium but is preferred for expansion because the fan base is larger than SD. Vegas is preferred because they’re gonna give their franchise whatever tax money they want.

That’s why they’re rumored for franchises before San Diego.

Shit just move the Kings there fr

California doesn’t need any more teams

Y’all used to have the Clippers and Chargers. Whatever happened there should answer your question.

cursed sports city

California already has four teams.

Aren’t most of the people there just Lakers fans anyway

There isn’t enough corporate support to buy suites.

I’d guess:

• Lack of an nba caliber arena
• Lack of deep big brand/big money corporate base (to fund sponsorships & buy suites for decades)
• had an nba team previously that was moved (league doesn’t go back often)
• nfl team left (owners probably don’t look at that favorably)

Because it translates to a whales vagina in German

They should have the Rockets move back. Houston doesn’t need an NBA team.

Other people have mentioned the logistical and territorial concerns, but just from an on-the-ground perspective the fan interest isn’t really there imo. Just a list of random observations:

• Sports bars don’t show basketball much. When the Aztecs made the March Madness finals in 2025, it was actually hard to find a bar that showed the game. Did find a packed one eventually, but in general you have to ask to have a game put on, and often they don’t have audio. So pretty low communal watching interest.
• Work has multiple fantasy leagues for the NFL every year. Zero interest in an NBA one.
• I’ve never seen an NBA jersey or logo in everyday wear out on the street. Lotta Padres and Dodgers gear, occasional Chargers bumper sticker. I’ve met 2 Clippers fans, ever.
• If you play pickup, people don’t really talk about NBA fandom much? Once met a kid at a park who struggled to name an NBA player.

You keep losing teams but deserve another one??? NO

Cause Cali has 4 teams already !!!

Hard to take any argument seriously when two pro teams have already left

cause california already has four teams

Maybe send the clippers back? I been to LA many times and let me tell you Lakers and Clippers games are totally different from the atmosphere to presentation. But I was at the intuit dome and it’s one of the nicest venues I been to. That alone has me thinking they’d never leave lol. I see where you coming from tho.

I don’t know if it’s overlooked so much as it’s low on the potential list. There’s a decent business case that San Diego could support a team, but Seattle is obviously first up because they had their team stolen and the city is super motivated to finally get this thing done (and they really nailed everything with the Kraken) and Vegas is just absolutely inevitable at this point. I’d imagine San Diego might slots somewhere into the second group of expansion targets alongside Mexico City and a return to a second Canadian market.

At this point the league’s (seemingly) got their ducks in a row for expansion provided the owners sign off on it from a revenue perspective, but it’s unclear how many franchises the owners group will be okay adding to the league. With a limited number of franchises to add, there’s simply way anyone would consider San Diego over Seattle and Vegas (and honestly even over Mexico City because Adam Silver seems super interested in expanding south of the border.

Probably because there’s 4 other NBA teams in California

San Diego lacks the economy and large corporate base to make another pro franchise successful in that market. I say this a proud SDSU alum, former San Diego resident and someone who still enjoys visiting for vacations, but this is the truth. The economy centers around the Navy, Admirals aren’t buying luxury boxes like corporate managers, and Qualcomm and some biotech businesses can’t sustain a modern sports franchise that depends on premium seat sales.

Sacramento, LA, LA, Golden State.

And you want a FIFTH team?

Surely you jest.

Dos California really need a 5th team?

Because you have 4 teams in California, and half of them suck every single year.

I agree that San Diego should have one, but that’s only because I don’t think LA should have 2

Been to San Diego and i hated it. Overrated city imho

Clippers should just move back there, no reason for them to be in LA

California really doesn’t need 5 teams.