The NBA's second-in-command said Sunday that Charlotte's biggest problem in keeping the Hornets is unanswered questions surrounding a new arena and an alternative ownership group.

Russ Granik spoke for an NBA relocation committee, which met for the first time Sunday morning on the Hornets' request to move to New Orleans. The committee, made up of seven NBA owners, will make a recommendation to the NBA Board of Governors, which will decide the issue.

"I think the choice (to move) is much easier if there is no certainty of a new arena, if there's no certainty of a lease arrangement ... at market value," said Granik, the NBA's deputy commissioner.

"And coupled with that, there doesn't seem any (declared) interest in new ownership. I see the mayor talk a lot about how we've got to get new owners, but I'm not aware of anyone in Charlotte interested in purchasing the team at a fair price.

"Those are all factors that the committee is entitled to consider. But right now, none of those (factors) even exist. So obviously they can't be considered."

Charlotte will start taking action tonight when the city council votes on an arena proposal. Sources indicate the proposal will pass by at least an 8-3 margin.

Granik said if that happens, Charlotte leaders should quickly supply the league with lease terms for the Hornets.

Also, Granik said, the league needs public confirmation that an alternative ownership group is available, since current owners George Shinn and Ray Wooldridge have repeatedly said they won't keep the team in Charlotte.

"We would not have made this relocation application if we weren't confident in meeting all the criteria -- legal, financial and economics of the future,'' Wooldridge said after the relocation committee's meeting Sunday. "That's why we are 100 percent confident we are not selling the team."

Wooldridge and Shinn rode a float in a New Orleans Mardi Gras parade Saturday. They brought 19 New Orleans dignitaries to the NBA All-Star Game in Philadelphia on Sunday.

The NBA Board of Governors -- with one vote for each of the 29 teams -- will likely decide during a meeting in New York April 8-9. Granik said the relocation committee has been asked to deliver its recommendation the last week of March.

"We talked about the process -- how it would work over the next few months," Granik said of Sunday's meeting. "Now we've got to go off and do a bunch of research and get back to them."

Granik said the committee likely would visit New Orleans to get a feel for that city's facilities and economy. A similar trip to Charlotte isn't necessary, Granik said, because the league knows what the market has been. But Granik says he's available to come if needed.

Granik said New Orleans would have to overcome some concern -- recently articulated by New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson -- that the Big Easy isn't big enough to support two major-league teams. New Orleans would be the NBA's smallest television market, 43rd nationally.

New Orleans is running a ticket drive to demonstrate fan support for the Hornets. Officials there expect to announce initial sales numbers Wednesday.

If New Orleans fails to reach sales goals for season tickets, club seats and luxury suites, the Hornets can void their contract with the state of Louisiana.

Granik didn't think Charlotte leaders should make a similar sales effort.

"I think it's more important to know whether there's a building guaranteed to be built, a fair lease arrangement with the team and whether there's some ownership group that's prepared to guarantee that will all happen," he said.