From Staff Reports 

With two cities dropping out early, Asheville’s opportunity to become the home of the NBA Charlotte Hornets’ D League franchise has improved.

In May, the Hornets sent out a request for proposal to seven North Carolina and South Carolina cities to submit bids to host a team in the NBA Development Leauge, which would begin play in the 2016-17 season.

However, Raleigh, N.C., and Greenville, S.C., decided not to make bids.

That leaves as the remaining North Carolina candidates Asheville, Fayetteville, and Greensboro, along with the South Carolina cities of Charleston and Columbia.

Asheville, which fielded a team in the original NBDL from 2001 to 2005, sent a bid to the Hornets in time to meet the June 8 deadline.

“We feel like we met a lot of their requests (in the RFP), and the ones we couldn’t meet, we offered ways to help find them,” said Chris Corl, general manager of the U.S. Cellular Center, which would be the site of the games if Asheville is awarded the franchise.

Among the requirements from the Hornets in the RFP is 50 available dates from Nov. 15 to April 15, including a minimum of 25 Friday or Saturday nights.

Not all of the aforementioned dates would be used because the Hornets, who currently do not have a D-League team, are looking to play 24 home games for their D-League team as part of a 50-game regular season.

The Hornets are also asking for the following:

• a practice facility

• 100 percent of gross ticket revenue

• 100 percent of advertising signage revenue in the building 

• percentages of gross parking revenue and concession sales.

Asheville city officials involved in the bid presentation said the Hornets would not be given all of the conditions requested, but that those requirements are considered a starting point in negotiations.

“We’re looking at this as a partnership and submitting a proposal as a win-win,” according to Sam Powers, Asheville’s director of economic development. “It is a proposal that — if accepted (by the Hornets) — would be hard for us to turn down.”

Poor attendance and financial losses caused the Asheville Altitude to fold in 2005 after four seasons, but Corl said both sides are much different now.

Meanwhile, Charlotte General Manager Rich Cho said the Hornets have several reasons for wanting a D League team. “This would allow us to dictate how the team is run, with the same offensive and defensive seats ... and philosophies.”

Also, Hornets officials have said having the team close to Charlotte would facilitate player call-ups and help market the NBA team.