NBA Possibly Relocating Memphis & New Orleans

pete clemenza

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Yeah I don't care how much a city loves basketball. If a big free agent won't come to your city you shouldn't get a team. That determines your worth not no love of basketball
The superstar free agent thing is dead tho. Any star player worth a damn is under a max or supermax deal with their current team, big and small market. In this era, 95% of the time it takes a big trade to get a superstar player. The MVP and champs are in Oklahoma. Plus players are getting financially savvy and are aware that NY and California taxes you to death.
 

murksiderock

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SMF and LAX to VA and NC
@murksiderock Charlotte is the 2nd largest city and 7th Metro in the Southeast (5th if we exclude the borderline DMV that counts as 2)...with Northeasterners still migrating back to their roots.

NBA isn't leaving there again.
I'll always hold the belief that the team in NC would give a better return on investment in Raleigh, and I think that if there were an owner inclined to do so, the NBA wouldn't oppose moving the Hornets to Raleigh. But it would take the current owners willing to move, or willing to sell to someone one willing to move them to Raleigh.

In Raleigh you'd still have that "between DC and Atlanta" void being filled, in the 7th-largest southeastern metropolis, but in a city that has a basketball palate similar to what you have in Indianapolis, Memphis, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Salt Lake, Sacramento, that keeps those cities NBA teams thriving. Indianapolis may be the strongest comp to Raleigh in this context----->middle market in a historically culturally rich basketball state.

Obviously Charlotte is in this same state as Raleigh but Raleigh is literally the centerpiece of the region that basketball lifeblood pumps from in NC.

These major leagues are set up with revenue sharing to where even the shytty franchises where the fanbase is minimally invested, are able to print money. So there would be no incentive for an owner to move the Hornets to Raleigh unless they specifically desired Raleigh; they are making money in Charlotte.

As it is, I agree with you that the NBA won't leave Charlotte.......even if they should. They are a much larger city and market than New Orleans and Memphis anyway (Raleigh is larger than those cities too, by the way), so all the NBA is doing with this consideration, is leaving there two smallest markets.

As an aside in a hypothetical where the Hornets move to Raleigh, Raleigh is still a larger market than 8 current NBA franchises (same as Charlotte, which is #22 DMA, Raleigh #23), so it wouldn't be trading out a "small market" for one that is notably smaller.
Sarcasm brehs
Look at his post after mine, he ain't being sarcastic 😂
 

the next guy

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I would say leave Memphis amd New Orleans and just do expansion, but Silver wants markets to drop teams into.

But this tells me Louisville is not getting a team.
 

murksiderock

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I would say leave Memphis amd New Orleans and just do expansion, but Silver wants markets to drop teams into.

But this tells me Louisville is not getting a team.
I would agree with others who say don't leave Memphis, they deserve a basketball team.

This is New Orleans' second failure with an NBA team, in two different generations of time. Its not a basketball city, they don't care about basketball like that down there. So I agree with potentially moving them.

I wouldn't necessarily go to Seattle or Vegas, I'd go to the city that offers the best overall fit, and if its one of those cities, sure. If its Louisville or somewhere else, I'd go there
 

the next guy

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I would agree with others who say don't leave Memphis, they deserve a basketball team.

This is New Orleans' second failure with an NBA team, in two different generations of time. Its not a basketball city, they don't care about basketball like that down there. So I agree with potentially moving them.

I wouldn't necessarily go to Seattle or Vegas, I'd go to the city that offers the best overall fit, and if its one of those cities, sure. If its Louisville or somewhere else, I'd go there
What I mean is leave Memphis and New Orleans where they are, send them east, give Vegas and Seattle (or Vancouver and Seattle) expansion franchises. 3 years. In 2028, if they don't draw, one to the western city that doesn't get a team, one to Montreal.

Expansion 2031 to Nashville and Kansas City, or something like that. That way, these cities can't say they didn't get a fair shake.
 

Spade

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I would agree with others who say don't leave Memphis, they deserve a basketball team.

This is New Orleans' second failure with an NBA team, in two different generations of time. Its not a basketball city, they don't care about basketball like that down there. So I agree with potentially moving them.

I wouldn't necessarily go to Seattle or Vegas, I'd go to the city that offers the best overall fit, and if its one of those cities, sure. If its Louisville or somewhere else, I'd go there
Seattle and its potential corporate money, market size, and growth cannot be ignored. Louisville can’t compete with that. Seattle is the 15th largest metro and the 13th largest tv market. Louisville is the 43rd largest metro and 49th largest tv market. Seattle getting an NBA team is inevitable and it’s only a matter of time. Shouldn’t have moved out of Seattle in the first place.
 

987654321

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I would agree with others who say don't leave Memphis, they deserve a basketball team.

This is New Orleans' second failure with an NBA team, in two different generations of time. Its not a basketball city, they don't care about basketball like that down there. So I agree with potentially moving them.

I wouldn't necessarily go to Seattle or Vegas, I'd go to the city that offers the best overall fit, and if its one of those cities, sure. If its Louisville or somewhere else, I'd go there

There’s no better fit than Seattle, they’re a basketball city through and through. They will support a team even if it never wins. They got scammed out of their last team.
 

987654321

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What I mean is leave Memphis and New Orleans where they are, send them east, give Vegas and Seattle (or Vancouver and Seattle) expansion franchises. 3 years. In 2028, if they don't draw, one to the western city that doesn't get a team, one to Montreal.

Expansion 2031 to Nashville and Kansas City, or something like that. That way, these cities can't say they didn't get a fair shake.

Nashville and KC will end up just like NO. They’re NFL cities who would only see an NBA team as a novelty, then gradually forget it’s even there.
 
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the next guy

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I don't think the NBA made a serious effort in New Orleans; it is what it is.

Memphis had some good years, but there are wealthier markets. My first choice is to keep them, but I think the NBA would rather have cities where it is the "man," so to speak, who wants to go toe-to-toe with the NFL and International Football/Soccer, which means Memphis isn't a good match.
 

Trojan 24

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All I hear is that Vegas is dying and The Strip is empty on weekdays. I think a lot of the Vegas talk has cooled. If the A's actually move there what expendable money is left to support a NBA franchise? A lot of tourist are staying away from Vegas, too expensive now they say. Unless things change, I don't see Vegas as a no brainer anymore. Not even sure if Seattle is still on the table. Weaker economy and the Sonics would have to compete with the Seahawks, NHL's Kraken, U Washington Football which has grown bigger over the years. Maybe I'm wrong tho

I mentioned this before but I wouldn't be surprised if they've already changed direction on the Vegas team thing. Remember when Silver damn near guaranteed Bron he'd be a apart of the Vegas Franchise when the Lakers won the Mid Season LGBT Spectacular?

Bron seemed to be lock and step with Silver and his shytty ideas but that changed starting with last year's AS game. I think Silver snaked him tbh
 
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