Silver: NBA 'looking more closely' at Mexico City expansion

International expansion may not be in the NBA's immediate plans, but it's not unrealistic to believe that a franchise could end up in Mexico City down the road.

While commissioner Adam Silver made it clear that a move wouldn't happen in the next few years, he did say the league is looking into adding a team further south.

"Mexico City, in terms of international markets, is one we’re looking more closely at," Silver said Friday at MIT's Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, according to Liz Bloom of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The NBA has hosted five regular-season contests in Mexico City since the 1997-98 season, with the Phoenix Suns playing back-to-back games there earlier this year.

Silver also previously stated that he's entertained the idea of organizing a midseason tournament in Mexico City, in hopes of increasing the NBA's popularity in North America's most populous city.