Steve Aschburner of the Star Tribune reports that there are rumours coming from all over the place at the moment about if there is going to be a Western Conference Team move East, will it be Minnesota or Memphis, or neither?

Both teams better not hold their breath. NBA Commissioner David Stern said Tuesday that such a move would not happen until 2003-04, if at all.

"Both Minnesota and Memphis have suggested to us that they would make more sense in the East than New Orleans," Stern said. "I guess from a quick look at a map, you could make the case for either one of them."

With the Hornets moving from Charlotte to New Orleans, a natural rivalry among Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Memphis -- all Midwest Division teams -- holds some appeal for the NBA. Memphis has geography on its side, with proximity to Atlanta and Indiana, although shifting another weak team to the East wouldn't help with balance.

But there's another wild card: Charlotte now is an attractive option for relocation or expansion. And since the East already has 15 teams to the West's 14, the NBA might wait to shift New Orleans out until a new team is ready to move in.

Former Boston star Larry Bird already has assembled a group hoping to be granted expansion rights there, and there could be more. Remember, Charlotte -- prior to mismanagement by unpopular owner George Shinn -- regularly led the NBA in attendance in the 1990s.

Said Stern: "I don't want to sound like that's gotten any further other than . . . myself having a nice conversation with the mayor and some other people in Charlotte. But at least we've indicated we're ready to entertain it as a possibility."