Could the above game be a fixture on future NBA schedules?  According to a report by John Delong in today's Winston-Salem Journal it certainly is on the cards.

So desperate are some in Charlotte to keep an NBA franchise in Charlotte that Bruton Smith, the Charlotte-based CEO of Speedway Motorsports, has begun preliminary negotiations to buy the Orlando Magic.  If the Hornets move to New Orleans and Smith is successful in his purchase of the Magic he will certainly try to move the team back to Charlotte.

In December Smith told WFNZ that he would "guarantee" a local group would purchase the Hornets if the opportunity ever presented itself, adding that he believed that curreny owner George Shinn had a "moral obligation" to sell to someone who would keep the Hornets in Charlotte.

Money a problem?  Not with Smith.  He owns several auto dealerships in the Charlotte area along with seven NASCAR tracks, and along with another group that have already pledged $100 million to the construction of a new arena in uptown Charlotte he is committed to keeping an NBA influence where they are.

According to Delong Smith's emergence may create a difficult situation for the NBA.  According to sources Smith has already spoken to Rich DeVos, the owner of the Magic, and other Magic officials, including Pat Williams, one of the team's vice presidents. If Smith does in fact buy the Magic it would be difficult for the NBA to allow the Hornets to move to New Orleans and then disapprove Smith's bid to move the Magic to Charlotte.  David Stern is already on record as saying he wants to keep the Magic in Orlando.

Another interesting tidbit was the fact that Smith claimed Charlotte does not need a new arena, and that an NBA team can still be successful playing in the Charlotte Coliseum.  This has been the basis of Shinn's move to New Orleans, stating that the current system isn't viable long term despite the fact that the Hornets sold out every game before ownership started with roster instability.