The world is ever-expanding, and the NBA may be as well. Reports indicate that the NBA Board of Governors is likely to vote this summer to add two expansion teams, with Seattle and Las Vegas as the favorite cities to host the new franchises. The move would bring the league to 32 teams, but a change to the conference structure is needed.
Seattle and Las Vegas would no doubt be placed in the Western Conference, leaving an uneven number of teams in both conferences. The fix would be moving one team to the East, and the New Orleans Pelicans could be a potential candidate to move. After the Charlotte Hornets relocated to New Orleans in 2002, the franchise spent two seasons in the Eastern Conference, making the playoffs both years.
The team moved to the Western Conference the season after, when Charlotte was awarded an NBA franchise again. Now, a decision will be made whether the Pelicans should be moved back. Geographically, a move back to the Eastern Conference makes sense. New Orleans is technically farther east than Chicago, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis, all of which are long-standing staples of the conference. A Southeast Division, including the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat, makes sense from a cultural and geographic standpoint.
New Orleans and Atlanta already have a heated football rivalry that spans back decades, tying both cities together in more than just sports. Adding a basketball layer to that dynamic only intensifies the Southern hostility. Add the travel time savings from replacing twice-a-year trips to Portland and Salt Lake City with Charlotte and other Eastern cities, and a move would be advantageous for the Pelicans.