Silver likes idea of WNBA team in the Bay Area

Though it isn't his decision, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is “in favor” of the Bay Area getting a WNBA expansion team.

Silver spoke to reporters in San Francisco ahead of Thursday's Game 1 of the NBA Finals, just hours after a story in The Athletic said the WNBA is planning on expanding soon.

The head of the NBA deferred the direct question on the league's expansion to his WNBA counterpart, Cathy Engelbert, who told The Athletic she hopes to identify one or two cities for an expansion franchise by the end of 2022.

“She's talked about the desire to expand,” Silver said of Engelbert. “At the same time, she's very focused on having a strong economic model with the current 12 teams.”

Silver said the Bay Area is a “fantastic basketball market” and he had high praise for the Warriors' organization and its owner, Joe Lacob.

Lacob previously was the owner of the San Jose Lasers in the American Basketball League, the last major pro women's basketball league before the WNBA. Lacob has previously said it would be “a dream” to bring a WNBA team to the Bay Area and has twice pursued relocating existing WNBA teams since becoming Warriors owner.

But Lacob isn't the only interested party in the San Francisco Bay Area. African-American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) has repeatedly expressed interest in bringing a team to Oakland, with a plan to play in the arena the Warriors left for Chase Center.

While expansion isn't happening just yet, it seems clear that it's coming soon. And in the eyes of Silver at the NBA — which owns 42.1% of the WNBA as a league, according to a report from Sports Illustrated — the market hosting a Finals game is a strong candidate for a new team.

“I think she's doing a fantastic job running that league,” Silver said of Engelbert. “And I think once she feels that the sort of all the proper building blocks are in place with the existing top teams, no doubt she'll turn to expansion.

“And I'm sure San Francisco will be on our list.”

ESPN ANNOUNCERS SIDELINED BY COVID-19 >>

ESPN's Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy are sidelined for Game 1 of the NBA Finals after testing positive for COVID-19.

Mark Jones, Mark Jackson

and Lisa Salters were the broadcast team for Thursday night's game at Chase Center. As a result of the positive tests, an all-Black on-air game crew did the broadcast of an NBA Finals game.

Breen tested positive before last Sunday's Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals in Miami and did not call that game. Van Gundy's voice was hoarse during that game when he worked with Jones and Jackson.

There is a possibility that both Breen and Van Gundy could be back before Game 2 on Sunday night.

ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, who is on for pregame and halftime segments, also tested positive for COVID and is out.