5 Awesome Las Vegas expansion team names, 7 that would disappoint

7 potential Vegas expansion team names that would be lackluster

Of the new team names that have been proposed for the NBA expansion team, there are seven that seem problematic or would be disappointing:

Las Vegas SuperSonics – Yes… This has been a real proposal made by some fans. Despite the SuperSonics name not even making much sense in the context of Vegas, with Seattle being the other prime destination for another NBA franchise, the SuperSonics would not be something that would benefit Vegas. Let Seattle have their name back.

Las Vegas Outlaws/Bandits – These are commonly suggested team names for Vegas-affiliated teams, but they are arguably too common. Not only do “Outlaws” and “Bandits” sound like a community college lacrosse team or high school football team, but they are also very similar to the Raiders. Even if they went with a different color scheme, Vegas would probably want to diversify their team names and mascots more than bringing in another Raider-like team name to the area.

Las Vegas Jokers – In a vacuum this name might make a lot of sense. Playing on the idea of casinos and playing cards themselves is smart. Unfortunately, the timing would be incredibly poor, considering the most recent NBA Finals MVP (and two-time regular season MVP) has the Joker nickname already. Nikola Jokic would likely outshine the Vegas team name if they were to go this route.

Las Vegas Sinners/Devils – Once again, the theme is understandable, but there are some underlying problems. Sinners would be very similar to the old Las Vegas Sin team name from the Lingerie Football League. The players would be set up for failure, as the photoshopped images and memes would run wild after losses. Additionally, for the Devils, the fear is that fans will instantly think of New Jersey rather than Las Vegas when they hear the team name.

Bighorns – Everyone loves sports teams with animal mascots and names. Regardless, some animals are simply more interesting, cool, and marketable than others. The bighorn sheep are locally recognized as beautiful animals in Nevada but the vibe may not match an up-and-coming NBA franchise well.

While a Vegas expansion team going with one of these seven team names would not be the end of the world, there are much better options out there. Five team names that would fit Vegas perfectly would be…