With Charlotte coming into the league in 2004, a realignment will be needed.  Right now there are 15 teams in the east and 14 in the west.

David DuPree of the USA Today expects Charlotte to be in the east, so one team is going to have to head west.

Going from the map, that would be New Orleans.  But Memphis has been trying to escape the stiffer competition out west, so would they consider moving Memphis to the east while Chicago and Milwaukee head west?  Unlikely.

DuPree also reports that the player conditions for the new Charlotte team have been settled.

Charlotte will get the fourth pick in the 2004 draft.  In future years they will pick wherever they land in the draft, with no restrictions.

At the end of the 2003/04 season, teams will all be able to protect eight players that they have under contract for the 2004/05 season.  Charlotte will be able to select up to one player from each team.

Dupree says to expect older players with ugly contracts to be available, citing Damon Stoudamire and his $15.8 million salary being a prime candidate.

Charlotte will be able to sign free agents like other teams (not if they take on Stoudamire?s salary!).  But for the first season their salary cap will be two-thirds what other teams have, and in the second season it will be three-quarters what other teams have.

Although each team gets about $10.3 million from the $300 million expansion fee Charlotte is paying, it won?t take too many years for that to be offset by each team?s loss in national TV revenue.