While the Magic continue their efforts in forming the team for the upcoming season, the franchise has reportedly approached several local businessmen with and idea of selling a piece of the team.

The club already contacted or will contact pest-control magnate Harvey Massey, Jimmy Hewitt, the one-time minority owner who sold his share of the team in 1991 to Rich DeVos, CNL exec Jim Seneff, Publix Super Markets executive Barney Barnett of Lakeland and Leonard Williams, the man behind Wayne Densch Inc.

The reasoning behind this seems simple: the team has struggled to find public support for a new or renovated arena -- something that would involve tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars. And part of the resistance stems from taxpayers' reluctance to help finance a team owned by one of the richest men in America -- one who lives in Michigan, for that matter.

The plan to counter that: build local support by involving local owners.