So Does the NBA have a NEW New Orleans Plan ?

[farzi]

You got two major league teams there. Enough is enough. Las Vegas has nothing. We need to be given a chance.

No you don't NEED it. You might want it. Seattle has to be on the list before LV is even considered. Vancouver BC too

[Duiz]

You got two major league teams there. Enough is enough. Las Vegas has nothing. We need to be given a chance.

No you don't NEED it. You might want it. Seattle has to be on the list before LV is even considered. Vancouver BC too

I think New York needs one. Something better than the Knicks.

[WEFFPIM]

If we're talking temporary home, somewhere semi-close to New Orleans, like Kansas City or St. Louis. If we're talking permanent, then Seattle or Las Vegas.

[asdfgh]

If this was to happen (I'm obviously not hoping anything bad will happen to the people of NO), I'm willing to bet money the Hornets will go to Kansas City.
San Francisco, Orange County or Austin have no chance because the NBA doesn't want teams moving within a 75 mile distancce of another NBA city.
If the Hornets have to move again it will be a permanent relocation, even if no one admits it. Because of that the NBA will have to find a city that can be viable in the long-term. At the same time however they will have to find A) An arena that is empty and B) a city that is close enough to NO in order to avoid scheduling nightmares (if a team for example has to play at Memphis, NO, Houston and Dallas in 5 nights under the current schedule you wouldn't want them flying grom Memphis to Hawaii and from there back to Dallas in a 2-day period).
Vancouver and St. Louis will probably not be considered because they already have a hockey team in their arenas. I think the NBA would like to go back to Seattle (even Stern admitted that the arena isn't as big of a problem as it's made out to be), but would Seattle be willing to accommodate Stern without getting a guarantee that they will keep the team? I don't expect Stern to come out and say that this is a permanent relocation, so I see some problems here. Also Seattle is too far from NO. Shinn would probably prefer to take the team to a thriving virgin (in pro sports) market like Las Vegas but how can you sell LV as an option without admitting that you're doing it because you believe in the city's long-term potential when there's no state-of-the-art arena? Also someoe mentioned that UNLV already uses the current arena, but there aren't that many games in college basketball so I don't know if this could be a problem. Kansas City is close enough to NO, they have an empty state-of-the-art arena and they would be the only choice if there wasn't a question of how viable the market is. While there are some KC fans here the impression I have gotten is that not many people seem to care about the NBA in that city and that they would rather have a hockey team. Even Stern said once when asked of the Sprint Center that "we didn't force them to build it". Despite all this, KC is probably the most logical choice. If this came up before the schedule was made, I'm pretty sure Seattle would have been the favorite, but since it's already September, I doubt it will happen. The only way KC will not get the team is by not showing a genuine interest, in which case some other city might be able to benefit.

But this is a totally hypothetical conversation.

[Duiz]

I still say Mexico City Hornets are waiting..

[The Sebastian Express]

http://www.stormpulse.com/hurricane-gustav-2008

This is Gustav's current projection.

[BillsGiants_Rep]

Doesn't Seattle have first dibs on the next NBA team?

San Francisco's battle of the bay for basketball is more interesting.

Agree

[Erebus Tunafish]

This is sad, New Orleans, one of the most heralded city in the USA is the first major victim in the developed world for climate change. I hope the levee system will improve for New Orleans, but in the next few years, the city will have to remain empty for such a development to take place.

Question is, if New Orleans is wiped out (at least temporarily), where will the 2million odd refugees locate?

[amb1ent]

Doesn't Seattle have first dibs on the next NBA team?

San Francisco's battle of the bay for basketball is more interesting.

the battle of los angeles hasn't exactly panned out, ever.

[sule]

Throw em in Vancouver for a year. The arena is there, the infrastructure is there, and they can bank off some Seattle fans crossing the border. Not to mention Vancouver has awesome sports facilities set up for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

[pr0wler]

^^ not a bad idea actually. As a resident of Vancouver I would be more than happy to attend a few games as I haven't seen NBA basketball for a long-time. If they had a permanent home in Seattle that would be great...

It's too bad Bennett wasn't the owner of the team then they would easily move to OKC and the Sonics would stay in Seattle instead of all this shuffling.

[MaRcu5]

You got two major league teams there. Enough is enough. Las Vegas has nothing. We need to be given a chance.

Two major league teams that absolutely suck ass. And yet, we still support them.

If the Hornets came to KC their would be plenty of interest.

Portland is playing a preseason game in October here in KC. Tickets went on sale in mid-August. If you want to go now you'd have to sit in the upperdeck/behind a basket.

[JordanL]

You got two major league teams there. Enough is enough. Las Vegas has nothing. We need to be given a chance.

Two major league teams that absolutely suck ass. And yet, we still support them.

If the Hornets came to KC their would be plenty of interest.

Portland is playing a preseason game in October here in KC. Tickets went on sale in mid-August. If you want to go now you'd have to sit in the upperdeck/behind a basket.

Portland fans are the same way.

The Trail Blazers, AFAIK, have sold out of season tickets, and half season tickets, and pre-season tickets, and have a handful of quarter season tickets left. The arena is basically sold out for the entire season.

Not bad for the 36th market in the US.

[Village Idiot]

I'd like to see an Ohio Valley team based in Cincinnati but that also plays some games in Louisville and Columbus.

It's 100 miles from Cincinnati to either city. If you include Dayton and Lexington in the equation that region has a population of over 7 million and it is also one of the most passionate basketball regions in the country.

[Dr. Evil]

The NBA isn't going to need a backup plan. There is a report that says that The New Orleans Arena suffered minimal damage and that the Saints are playing in the Superdome on Sunday. Also, New Orleans was pretty much saved from Hurricane Gustav, with a few minor damages here and there.

[MaRcu5]

The NBA isn't going to need a backup plan. There is a report that says that The New Orleans Arena suffered minimal damage and that the Saints are playing in the Superdome on Sunday. Also, New Orleans was pretty much saved from Hurricane Gustav, with a few minor damages here and there.

The Hurricane season just started.

[Optimus_Steel]

^^ not a bad idea actually. As a resident of Vancouver I would be more than happy to attend a few games as I haven't seen NBA basketball for a long-time. If they had a permanent home in Seattle that would be great...

It's too bad Bennett wasn't the owner of the team then they would easily move to OKC and the Sonics would stay in Seattle instead of all this shuffling.

Thats exactly what would have happend because Stern and Bennett are very good buddies.

[jenn_gp]

While I'm against ripping off another city's team, especially when it comes to New Orleans situation, I will say this. Seattle doesn't get another team, let alone host one temporarily without updating the Key Arena. That's been the "problem" all along over the past 2-3 years. I don't see the state giving Seattle the $75 million they need to renovate Key Arena without some sort of guarantee that a franchise will be playing there. And I doubt they'd approve it if it was a temporary situation.