700 seats to go, 0 days remaining.  This is the scenario facing the Hornets, a team desperate to move from Charlotte to New Orleans.

Just last week the team said the NBA's approval would be "a lock" if it sold a total of 2,400 club seats -- priced from $3,870 to $5,375 -- by today.  The Hornets were able to sell 472 club seats this week alone, with the help of some New Orleans business and political leaders.

"Time is running out," Hornets spokesman Alex Martins said Thursday. "I still believe we're going to get this. We have a lot of deals in the works."

With the paperwork not officially due into commissioner David Stern until Wednesday, the team essentially has three more business days to sell the 700 remaining seats required.  But with Easter weekend upon us Chicago-based sports finance expert Marc Ganis predicted the team will find it "very challenging" to sell the remaining seats, and waiting in the wings are a group trying to keep the Hornets in Charlotte.

"I think we continue to make (Charlotte) look attractive and if there's any kind of a chink in the armor, we're there as the alternative," said Nelson Schwab.