How secure are the Pelicans in NO?

Pelicans are extremely secure. The Pelicans lease runs until 2024 and there are no escape clauses. Gayle Benson seemingly has no intention of moving the team and the NBA seems content having a franchise in New Orleans.

We should rehash other worries from 2009 while we're at it, such as "Will we resign CP3?" and "Was the James Posey signing a bad idea?"

First, the national TV money is HUGE. In the bad old days when we thought the team was under constant threat of leaving, the players were taking 57% of $900 million leaving about $13 million for each team from the national TV deal. The new deal will average $2.66 Billion per year and the players cut is down to 51% giving each team $43 million from the TV deal, an increase $30 million. So imagine the Shinn Hornets worst season and give them $30 million extra, do you think they'd need to leave to make ends meet? That's not even taking increased revenue sharing and franchise valuations into account.

I was going to make other points like Benson supposedly bought the team for they synergy with his other properties, not to mention having 2 teams gives him more leverage when negotiating with the state/city, but I think I'll just leave it at the TV deal. That's a lot of extra money to put your mind at ease.

I see 2 potential threats if Benson dies.

1) A Trust is running the team as a business for #businessreasons and gets an offer they can't refuse. If some ownership group offered $1 Billion or more, could a business trust really turn an offer like that down if their primary duty is making money? Hopefully Gayle is in charge or some directive to keep the team in town if it's profitable is written into the trust (or whatever you do with trusts to give them direction).

2) It's time for a new lease and the state is too cash strapped to provide much in the way of shakedown money to the NBA per usual. Local government not playing ball is definitely something that can cost you a franchise in this league.

To me the only threat is Seattle. I know the league wants a team there again. Would hope that after Tom passes that some group doesn't offer a ridiculous amount of money to Gayle and move them to Seattle.

There is a plan in place for the Pels and the Saints, and neither are leaving.

There are a few mid sized usa cities without a team, most had a pro team before. If billionaire offers trust enough, they are gone. Pittsburgh has a decent tv market.

I will bet montreal for next nba franchise regardless of pels fate. Huge metro tv market.

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I will bet montreal for next nba franchise regardless of pels fate. Huge metro tv market.

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Louisville

Didn't the Jamal Mashburn group who wanted the Hornets said they would keep the team here also?
And why not sell it to the state kinda like what the Packers done and citizens can be honorary shareholders

I dont understand why everyone is so confident. I wonder if these people go to the games and see the crowds or live in the city and hear the lack of hype surrounding this team. Or the lack of promotion by the team locally. Or the fact that the top 15 selling jerseys came out today and Anthony Davis is no where to be found. That is alarming to me. Dude's a top 6-7 player and no one knows who he is.


This teams needs to win, and win with Anthony Davis. Im not sure they can endure another rebuild where they have to trade off their best player to start over again. Which is why this regime needed to be gone yesterday. The same people that think they are secure are the same ones with blind faith in what we have going on right now.