NBA commissioner Adam Silver remains committed to exploring potential expansion for the league. After the board of governors met in Las Vegas earlier this week, Silver told reporters that it will take some additional research before any expansion plans are finalized.

At the Board of Governors meeting Tuesday in Las Vegas, Silver told reporters that league owners instructed the NBA to conduct an in-depth analysis of its options. It is a small yet important box to check on the extensive to-do list that comes with league expansion and could get the ball rolling for a 31st team to enter the picture.

Saying owners have a “curiosity” about the notion, Commissioner Adam Silver said this week that the league will now study the issue more formally as part of an in-depth analysis, which would be the first official move in a long process toward adding franchises.