ORLANDO, Fla. -- The NBA wants to keep the Orlando Magic in
central Florida.
"We love having a team in Orlando," NBA deputy commissioner
Russ Granik said Wednesday. "It's been a great market for us and
it's supported the Magic well. It's a little surprising that
there's discussion about the team moving. I don't think that's in
anybody's head right now."
The Magic's owners said Monday the franchise is for sale. A
buyer might want to move the team.
No NBA team moved for 15 years before the Grizzlies went from
Vancouver to Memphis before this season. On Wednesday, Charlotte's
mayor said the Hornets want to move to New Orleans.
Granik said the NBA doesn't want a rash of franchise shifts.
"That's the exception in this league," he said, referring to
the Grizzlies' move. "I don't think Orlando should take anything
from that."
Magic officials have said they are losing about $10 million per
year because the team's home court lacks luxury suites and club
seating. There are no plans to build a new arena in Orlando.
"Long term, I think everybody realizes that the current arena
is not suitable on a permanent basis. It's not competitive with the
rest of the teams," Granik said. "But I think that's a problem
that's solvable in a variety of ways."
Magic officials hope a new owner would keep the team in Orlando,
but they admit they can't guarantee that.
"We are not naive enough that we believe we can tell the new
owner what to do with their property," Magic president Bob Vander
Weide said. "But we will certainly take all the time in the world
to convey what we believe about this community, the importance of
this community, how good this community has been to us."
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