The Newest NBA Team: Charlotte Hornets to New Orleans Pelicans History
by Ryan Mitchell on May 20, 2026
TL;DR: The newest NBA franchise is the Charlotte Bobcats, founded in 2004, later renamed back to Charlotte Hornets in 2014. Before that, the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans (relocated from Charlotte in 2002, rebranded 2013) had been the most recent franchise reshuffle. The NBA has not added a brand-new expansion franchise since 2004.
The Charlotte Bobcats - the NBA's last expansion franchise
The 2004-05 season saw the NBA grow to 30 teams when the Charlotte Bobcats took the court for the first time. The franchise was awarded to Charlotte after the original Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans in 2002, leaving the city without a team. Bob Johnson became the NBA's first Black majority owner, and the Bobcats played their early seasons at the new Charlotte Bobcats Arena.
In 2014, after years of mediocre on-court results and a fan vote, the franchise reclaimed the Hornets name and color scheme - completing a circle that started when the original Hornets left in 2002.
How the New Orleans Pelicans came to be
The team currently called the New Orleans Pelicans was founded in 1988 as the original Charlotte Hornets. They relocated to New Orleans in 2002, became the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets temporarily after Hurricane Katrina (2005-2007 with home games split), and rebranded as the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013 - making the Hornets name available for Charlotte to reclaim.
So while the Pelicans look like a new team on paper, their franchise lineage stretches back to 1988. The actual newest franchise badge belongs to the Bobcats/Hornets in Charlotte.
Other relatively recent additions
Looking back at the modern NBA's expansion timeline:
- 1995: Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies (Grizzlies later moved to Memphis in 2001)
- 1989: Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic
- 1988: Charlotte Hornets (now Pelicans) and Miami Heat
- 1980: Dallas Mavericks
- 1974: New Orleans Jazz (now Utah Jazz)
The 30-team era has been stable since 2004. For a full breakdown of all 30 franchises and their history, see our chronology of NBA teams.
Future NBA expansion: Seattle and Las Vegas?
Commissioner Adam Silver has hinted at potential expansion to Seattle and Las Vegas. Seattle famously lost the SuperSonics to Oklahoma City in 2008 and has campaigned for a return. Las Vegas has emerged as a major sports city with the Raiders (NFL), Golden Knights (NHL), and Aces (WNBA). Realistic timeline: post-2030, possibly aligning with the next CBA cycle.
Outfit your team in any era's style
Whether you root for a charter franchise or the newest squad on the map, you can carry the look. Hoopsbasket ships custom basketball uniforms in any color combination, and custom warm-up shirts for pre-game looks. For coaches building plays around your team identity, see the custom basketball coaching boards collection.
Related reading
Images: Pixabay. Used under the Pixabay Content License.
