Owner Of Canucks Hoping To Purchase Hornets, Move Club To Vancouver

[Big Bid'Ness]

From:realgm

Canucks Sports and Entertainment chairman Francesco Aquilini has been looking for five years a franchise that can be purchased and moved to Vancouver.

Sources say Aquilini is looking into the Hornets, who are currently owned by the NBA.

During an interview this week, commissioner David Stern said Vancouver is one of several markets interested in a relocated NBA franchise.

Stern listed Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Anaheim and Tampa/St. Petersburg as markets with NBA-ready facilities. Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, owned by the Canucks, would qualify as well.

“I have regrets about both Seattle and Vancouver,” Stern said.

The Grizzlies left Vancouver in 2001 after just six seasons.

Aquilini’s interest in an NBA team dates to 2005.

 

[Dorado]

Why not just add expansion teams?

Re-start a new Supersonics squad and then open a new franchise in Vancouver. Id'd kill NOLA to lose their Hornets.

 

[snipezo]

I'd love to see NBA back in Vancouver.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

Why not just add expansion teams?

Re-start a new Supersonics squad and then open a new franchise in Vancouver. Id'd kill NOLA to lose their Hornets.

For some odd reason people don't understand that the Hornets can't move because we met the benchmark, and they're locked into the rest of their deal. If somebody would buy the Hornets they would have to sit on their hands and keep the team in New Orleans for a period of time before they finally can move them.

Now is contraction possible? Sure, and I'll admit that would be one hell of a show of power by David Stern. I'm not sure how realistic contraction is though.

 

[Elite]

Doesn't make any sense, they left Vancouver for a reason.

 

[Pugz]

Why not just add expansion teams?

Re-start a new Supersonics squad and then open a new franchise in Vancouver. Id'd kill NOLA to lose their Hornets.

the nba cant have an expansion team if they still dont have a new cba lol. and the sonics will only come again if seattle gets another team. david stern has already said that.

 

[LPrugby]

The NBA doesn't need any more teams anyways. There is a huge talent differential between the top level teams and bottom level. There are probably only six team that have an actual chance of winning the NBA championship.