The Minnesota Timberwolves relocation to New Orleans was a failed 1994 effort to relocate

Relocation of professional sports teams

Relocation of professional sports teams is a practice which involves a sporting franchise moving from one metropolitan area to another, although occasionally moves between municipalities in the same conurbation are also included...

 the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 (NBA) franchise Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...

 to New Orleans, Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

. After a prolonged courtship, the Top Rank group secured a contract to purchase the Timberwolves for $152.5 million from owners Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner, only to have the league reject the purchase in June 1994. Following the rejection by the league, Minnesota businessman Glen Taylor

Glen Taylor

Glen A. Taylor is an American businessman who is the majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team, owner of the Minnesota Lynx WNBA basketball team, and a former member of the Minnesota Senate.-Biography:...

 purchased the franchise and kept the team in Minneapolis. After failing to attract the Vancouver Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...

 in 2001, New Orleans would return to the NBA following the relocation of the Charlotte Hornets for the 2002–03 season.

Relocation speculation

By the 1994 NBA All-Star Game

1994 NBA All-Star Game

The 1994 NBA All-Star Game was the 44th edition of the All-Star Game. The event was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The East All-Stars won the game with the score of 127–118. Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls was voted MVP of the game.-Eastern All-Stars:...

, speculation as to whether or not the Timberwolves would remain in Minneapolis following the 1994–95 season became an issue. On February 11, 1994, NBA commissioner David Stern

David Stern

David Joel Stern is the commissioner of the National Basketball Association. He started with the Association in 1966 as an outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980. He became Commissioner in 1984 succeeding Larry O'Brien...

 announced that he and his representatives would serve as mediators in an effort to resolve issues related to the debt owed on the Target Center

Target Center

The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....

, the Timberwolves home arena. The Timberwolves ownership was seeking a public or private entity to purchase the $73 million remaining on the arena's mortgage, otherwise the team would be sold and in all likelihood moved from Minnesota. Although mediation talks were just beginning to keep the team in place, by the following week it was revealed that ownership had met with representatives from San Diego, Nashville and New Orleans to discuss the potential relocation of the franchise. By late February, New Orleans emerged as the likely city for the team to relocate to if a deal could not be reached to keep the team in Minneapolis. This became the case after the potential ownership group Top Rank signed a letter of intent to purchase the team and move it to New Orleans if debt issues at the Target Center were not resolved.

Although a potential local ownership group was identified in late February, local opposition to a perceived bailout of multi-millionaire ownership began to take hold. A citizens opposition group called Don't Target Us (referencing the Target Center in their name) formed to voice their opposition to a public purchase of the facility. Additionally, polling at the time showed support for public intervention as being unfavorable with 60 percent of those polled being against intervention. However support for intervention on the arena issue began to take shape as well with several at the local and state level stating their intention to make a deal happen. Additionally, businesses near the arena starting a campaign to keep the team in Minneapolis.

While political maneuvering was continuing in Minnesota, by early April it was reported that Nashville had become the favored place for relocation over New Orleans. The Nashville offer became the preferred option as it included $80 million for the franchise from Gaylord Entertainment and an additional $20 million to be paid to the city of Minneapolis to pay down debt at the Target Center. New Orleans later reemerged as the lead candidate for relocation by the end of April when Top Rank announced a purchase price of $152.5 million. By early May, the Minnesota state legislature approved a bill that would use public funds to purchase the Target Center for $48 million. The purchase by the state was contingent on ownership agreeing to keep the franchise in the arena for 30 years. However, ownership could not find a local suitor willing to pay what Top Rank had offered for the franchise setting the stage for relocation.

Proposed move to New Orleans

After months of speculation, on May 23, 1994, Top Rank successfully purchased the franchise for $152.5 million with the intention of relocating it to New Orleans. The purchase occurred following an agreement between Top Rank and Timberwolves ownership that allowed Top Rank to purchase the franchise if no local ownership groups were found by May 20, 1994. On June 6, 1994, Top Rank officially filed the paperwork to the NBA seeking to relocate the Timberwolves to New Orleans for the 1994–95 NBA season. The filings also identified Fred Hofheinz

Fred Hofheinz

Fred Hofheinz , was mayor of Houston, Texas, from 1974 to 1978. He attended the University of Texas, earning a B.A., M.A., PhD, and J.D....

 as the sole Top Rank stockholder, with Houston lawyer John O'Quinn and stockbroker Robert Higley serving as the team's major partners.

With the timber wolf

Gray Wolf

The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...

 being a species not native to Louisiana, there was much speculation as to a what the relocated franchise would be called. Although never officially changed, some of the proposed names included: Rhythm from New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial

Marc Morial

Marc Haydel Morial is an American political and civic leader and the current president of the National Urban League. Morial served as mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana from 1994 to 2002. He is married to Michelle Miller, who has won awards as a CBS News Correspondent.- Early life and educations...

 and Angels from Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards

Edwin Edwards

Edwin Washington Edwards served as the Governor of Louisiana for four terms , twice as many terms as any other Louisiana chief executive has served. Edwards was also Louisiana's first Roman Catholic governor in the 20th century...

. After speculation as to where the team would play their home games while a new arena

New Orleans Arena

New Orleans Arena is an indoor arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is located in the city's Central Business District, adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome....

 was constructed, Superdome

Louisiana Superdome

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...

 officials notified the league that enough dates would be available to schedule 41 home games at the dome for the 1994–95 season. Prior to this announcement, the team was rumored to play games at the Lakefront Arena

Lakefront Arena

The Senator Nat G. Kiefer University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena, in New Orleans, Louisiana and was built in 1983. It is named in honor of Nat G. Kiefer, the late state senator who aided UNO’s efforts to obtain state funding for the building...

, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Pete Maravich Assembly Center

Pete Maravich Assembly Center is a 13,472-seat multi-purpose arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The arena opened in 1972. It is home to the Louisiana State University Tigers and Lady Tigers basketball teams. It was originally known as the LSU Assembly Center, but was renamed in memory of Pete...

 in Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...

 or the Mississippi Coast Coliseum

Mississippi Coast Coliseum

The Mississippi Coast Coliseum is a 11,500 reserved seating, 15,000 festival seating, multi-purpose arena in Biloxi, Mississippi. It was built in 1977. It hosted WCW Beach Blast 1993 and the Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball tournament in 1992 and 1993...

 in Biloxi

Biloxi, Mississippi

Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....

 when the Superdome was unavailable.

Remaining in Minneapolis

On June 15, 1994, the National Basketball Association's franchise relocation committee voted unanimously to block the sale of the franchise to Top Rank resulting in the Timberwolves remaining in Minneapolis through at least the 1994–95 season. Top Rank's offer was rejected by the league due to questions surrounding their financing plan. The $152 million purchase price would have been paid for through $40 million from unknown investors; up to $76.25 million in loans from banks that had yet to make commitments; and $50 million or more from undisclosed sources based on projected revenues from the un-built arena in New Orleans. Also, the league filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis seeking an injunction against any transfer of the team from Minnesota. On June 21, 1994, the league officially denied sale of the franchise to Top Rank resulting in the Timberwolves remaining in Minneapolis. On June 28, 1994, Top Rank would file a counter-suit in Louisiana Civil District Court. The suit sought to have ownership fulfill their contractual obligation to sell the team to Top Rank. The following day, federal district court ruled that the franchise was to remain in Minneapolis through June 15, 1995.

After over eight months of working to purchase the franchise, local businessman Bill Sexton withdrew his bid to purchase the Timberwolves in August. However, Glen Taylor

Glen Taylor

Glen A. Taylor is an American businessman who is the majority owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves basketball team, owner of the Minnesota Lynx WNBA basketball team, and a former member of the Minnesota Senate.-Biography:...

 later headed a group to purchase the team with the NBA approving the transaction in October 1994. By 1995 Top Rank would enter involuntary bankruptcy and as a result, the NBA rejected their offer securing the franchise in Minneapolis.

In the years following the attempt to relocate the Timberwolves, the New Orleans Regional Basketball Alliance sought lure an existing franchise to the city. After completion of the New Orleans Arena, the Alliance led efforts to relocate the Vancouver Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...

 to the city. The New Orleans bid ultimately lost out to Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

, and by early 2002 the city looked to the Charlotte Hornets to potentially relocate to the city. The Hornets became attractive to relocate following a failed referendum for a new arena in Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

. On May 10, 2002, the NBA voted in favor of the relocation of the Hornets to New Orleans marking the return of the NBA to the city since the relocation of the New Orleans Jazz

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 to Salt Lake City in 1979. In November 2002, the Timberwolves made their first trip to New Orleans since the failed relocation efforts of the Top Rank group in 1994.