Hornets Inch Closer to Finding a Legitimate Owner with New Arena Lease

Just weeks after Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson and the Maloof clan were able to victoriously proclaim the Kings' future in Sacramento, Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal laid out the terms of an agreement to keep the Hornets in New Orleans through 2024, per The Times-Picayune. The Hornets have made a home for themselves in NOLA over the last decade, and though the rudderless franchise has been a frequent target of rumored relocation and even contraction, the team has been rightfully implanted in New Orleans for an extended stay.  

All things considered—and particularly considering the very public antsiness to get an NBA team back to Seattle for good will's sake—this marks the latest in what has been a pretty good run for NBA host cities. Newark will be saying goodbye to the Nets in short order, but otherwise, teams have received a huge helping hand from their respective cities and states in their efforts to remain rooted in their current communities.

There's certainly a conversation to be had about whether public funds should be a part of arena building/renovation at all (with Madison Square Garden being the most compelling counterpoint), but politics aside, this is an incredibly positive development for New Orleans, and on a larger scale, for a league forced to assume control of an owner-less Hornets operation.

The very idea of a league-owned team was a bit curious from the start, as collective ownership by the league rightfully raised an eyebrow or two. That conversation continued when the Hornets actually made moves that increased their total payroll while Mavericks owner Mark Cuban alleged the team was bleeding money. 

Of course, the entire arrangement took on a certain odor when the Hornets, operating either directly or indirectly as an arm of the NBA and commissioner David Stern, engaged in trade talks for their cherished superstar with one team, vetoed the deal in either the 11th or the 13th hour (depending on which reports you believe) and then proceeded to finalize a deal with another team in the same big-market city. Engage in conspiracy theorizing at your own risk, but the evidence purporting foul play is convenient, if nothing else.

Thus, NBA fans can not only be thrilled for their brothers and sisters in basketball getting to hold onto the team that they love, but they can take added satisfaction knowing that the nightmare of a league-owned team is that much closer to being over. Nothing is resolved as of yet, but a clearer vision of the Hornets' lease is a huge first step in the public courting of a potential owner and a more stable, healthy future for the Hornets organization.