The NBA is coming to Las Vegas. No, this isn't hyperbole or wishful thinking, it is in the works. Several Las Vegas based backers have already said they are going to put in a bid for the new team, with bids estimated to fetch between 7 and 10 billion dollars.

While the logistics of such a venture are still going to be worked out, one of the more fun aspects of a new team is figuring out what the new franchise will be called. A teams name is the most important part of a teams identity. Fans rarely say they are a Los Angeles Fan, or a Dallas Fan, or a New York Fan; instead they often say they are a Lakers Fan, or a Mavericks Fan or a Knicks Fan - It is called Lakers Nation and not Los Angeles Nation for a reason.

However, with that said, the first step in naming a team is going to be choosing weather or not the team will be called Las Vegas, Vegas, Nevada or something like Sin City. Most NBA teams chose to represent the city they are from, such as Los Angeles, Cleveland, Memphis Portland, Miami ect. There are a few that chose to represent their state such as Minnesota and Utah. The only NBA team to represent a regional nickname is the Golden State Warriors. No NBA team shortens their city name, and in fact the only professional team that does is the Vegas Golden Knights.

It is unlikely that the new Las Vegas team will chose to call their name after the State of Nevada. Outside of Las Vegas and the Reno area, Nevada is a spare wasteland, and most of the residents outside the metro areas live in the Great Basin. The Great Basin is a highly conservative area and not fond of the NBA. Bars in Ely, Austin, Eureka, and Carlin are still refusing to show NBA games after the 2020 NBA bubble protests. The other NBA teams who represent their state are from states with massive spread out populations in multiple closely intertwined cities such as the Twin Cities in Minnesota, the Wasatch Front in Utah and the Bay Area for Golden States. These cities all have similar identities so representing the state makes much more sense.

Going with a simple Vegas moniker may be a way the new team goes, especially if the Golden Knights owner also has the winning bid for the new team. Vegas is unique in that it represents both a city and a region. The Vegas region would include cities like North Las Vegas, Summerlin, and Henderson and unincorporated Paradise - where the actual Strip is located.

The most likely scenario, however, is that the new franchise choses Las Vegas. 26 of the NBA's thirty teams are named after a city, and the Las Vegas franchise's expansion twin will most likely represent Seattle.

But what will the new team be called?

Las Vegas already has three major professional sports teams with a fourth on the way. If you include the NBA team, and the relocation of the MLB's A's, that would than give Las Vegas five professional teams. The NFL's Las Vegas Raiders; the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights; The WNBA's Las Vegas Aces; the MLB's A's and of course the new NBA team. Of those five teams, only the Knights and the new NBA team have been expansion franchises, the other three relocated from previous cities. The Raiders came from Oakland, via Los Angeles via Oakland and have always been called the Raiders. The A's are coming from Oakland as well, and it is rumored they will keep the Athletics name when they relocate. The Aces came from San Antonio and were called the Silver Stars, before that they were the Utah Starzz - so they are the only one to change their name, but also has the least identity of any of the relocated teams. The Golden Knights were an expansion team and were named after owner Bill Foley's alma mater - The US Military Academy at West Point.

All these names will affect the name of the new team. It is highly unlikely the new team will reuse any of the other names of the already established Vegas teams.

History and culture are also going to play an important role in naming the new team. The NBA has a long history of naming expansion teams after important historical and cultural events. For example, the Portland Trail Blazers are named after the end of the Oregon Trail; the New Orleans Jazz, now Utah Jazz, were named for the music in New Orleans; The Chicago Bulls are named after the Chicago Stockyard; the Charlotte Hornets are named after a Revolutionary War battle; and the Minneapolis Lakers, now Los Angeles Lakers, are named after the large ships or Lakers found on the great lakes.

Vegas is synonymous with gambling, but the NBA has a long and very bitter history with gambling so it is unlikely the NBA would allow the new team to be named after any form of gambling - so name like Dice, Slots, Wagers, Blackjacks, Spades, High Rollers, Mirage or Gamblers is likely off the table. The team may get away with a more creative roundabout way of doing it though.

So what are some names for the new Las Vegas team?

Las Vegas Roadrunners
A native bird to Nevada, and one known for speed which is important in basketball. However, this one could get complicated with the Warner Brother's character of the same name as well as the former ABA Dallas Chaparrals (Now the San Antonio Spurs) previously using a roadrunner mascot.

What do you think the new Las Vegas team should be called?