Montreal in Unlikely Pursuit of NBA Franchise

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In recent NBA rumors, a group of Quebec business people, which is led by former senator Michael Fortier, have supposedly put together a financial pitch to display a basketball franchise in the city of Montreal, Canada. While the NBA has not spoken of plans to expand the league, this does make for an interesting debate.

Should the NBA consider an expansion to Montreal?

Just last season, the Toronto Raptors had the fourth-best home attendance rating in the league. With 813,431 fans accounted for, the only franchises that surpassed that number were the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers.

Although an NBA expansion has never been on the radar, based on a conversation that took place between the two sides, the group that put this pitch together believe there will eventually be an expansion, or at least a relocation within the league.

If a relocation is more likely, who is on the chopping block? Based solely on home attendance numbers, the suitable answers would include the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies would all be in question. Based on lack of wins or history, perhaps the Charlotte Hornets should on the edge of their seats.

Based on the statistics of recent renovations, it’s fair to say that an expansion team may cost anywhere between $1.5-2.0 billion roughly. On Wednesday, CEO of the security firm GardaWorld, Stephan Cretier, agreed to contribute 10% of the value cost for a potential franchise that would hypothetically enter Montreal someday.

As a side note, Fortier and company are also part of a group leading a comeback attempt to bring the Montreal Expos back into the MLB.

The reality is that the NBA will not explore an expansion or relocation within the next decade, but it sparks controversy and opportunity within front offices across the league. Montreal is ranked among North America’s 20 most populated metropolitan areas, which correlates to potentially maximizing profits.

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