A construction crew erects a tent frame last Sunday outside the Thomas & Mack Center as early-week preparations got under way for NBA All-Star Weekend. If the NBA were to consider bringing a franchise here, one of the major concerns would be the construction of a new arena that seats around 20,000. Photo by Ralph Fountain. Sports books throughout Nevada post lines on NBA games, such as these Tuesday at the Santa Fe, but in an agreement made with the league no bets will be taken on Sunday's All-Star Game. Photo by Samantha Clemens.

If Las Vegas is to have a chance at getting an NBA franchise, two major issues must be resolved.

One is the building of an NBA-quality facility. The other is gambling: NBA commissioner David Stern has said sports books would have to remove all NBA games from betting boards for the league to consider Las Vegas for a franchise.

The first issue can be solved easier than the second. Public financing, private financing or a combination can be found to build an arena. The Las Vegas Event Center Task Force said in November that a state-of-the-art building to house the NBA and/or the NHL would cost $407 million, excluding land and infrastructure costs.

According to Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, if private funding can be secured, an arena will be built.

"I'm on the fast track," Goodman said last month of his attempt to bring major league sports to the city. "This city needs an arena. I've had five money people come to me and say they are ready to build an arena, provided we have a team."

The gaming issue was far trickier until Wednesday when Stern and Goodman met at City Hall and Stern asked Goodman to come up with a proposal to address the issue when the league's Board of Governors meet April 23 in New York.

Goodman plans to meet with sports book directors, casino executives and others in helping formulate his proposal which Stern said he would like to have by March 20.

Sports books agreed not to accept wagers on today's All-Star Game at the Thomas & Mack Center, but it's doubtful they would agree to take all the games off the betting board during the season.

"Where would it stop?" said Vic Salerno, CEO of Leroy's Sports, which has sports books throughout the state. "Football and baseball would want the same thing."

During 2004-05, $628.5 million was bet on basketball in Nevada sports books. The Gaming Control Board doesn't break down college vs. professional, but according to several sports book directors, of that $628.5 million, 45 percent or $282.8 million was wagered on NBA games. That explains their reluctance not to book games.

"I do think there's room to compromise," Salerno said. "Maybe we wouldn't book the Vegas team like we did when the Jazz played here. But that's probably as far as we would go."

When the Utah Jazz played 13 "home" games at the Thomas & Mack Center from 1983 to 1985, sports books took those games off the betting boards.

Stern remains opposed to gambling in any form on the league because he said it sends the wrong message. However, his reaching out to Goodman Wednesday may be an indication he is softening his stance.

Dave Checketts, who worked for the Jazz when it played in Las Vegas and is the owner of the NHL's St. Louis Blues and Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer, said the dynamics have changed in Las Vegas, and the city would make for a strong NBA market.

"There's no question Las Vegas is ready," Checketts said. "Obviously, the betting is an issue. But I think he (Stern) has embraced the idea of a Las Vegas franchise."

Dennis Neilander, chairman of the Gaming Control Board, said the agency would not be involved in any decision to place a professional sports franchise in Las Vegas.

"The only way we would get involved is if the league requests that we not have betting on their sport," he said. "That's what happened with the All-Star Game. The league came to us and asked us to have the game taken off the boards, and everyone agreed to do so."

Assuming the two main issues are resolved, the question is, what team would come to Las Vegas?

Expansion is one possibility. But the price tag would be enormous.

When the Charlotte Bobcats joined the league in 2002, ownership paid a $300 million expansion fee. That was two years before the team played its first game. The NBA probably would ask a lot more for a Las Vegas franchise.

The other option is to relocate a franchise. Sacramento and Milwaukee have been unsuccessful in attempts to get new buildings. Then there's New Orleans, which is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and might not have the financial wherewithal to support the NBA long term. The team has played the majority of its home games in Oklahoma City since relocating there after Katrina.

The league is committed to returning to New Orleans full time next year, and the 2008 NBA All-Star Game will be played there. Beyond that, no one is sure of the team's future.

In the meantime, Las Vegas waits. Gavin Maloof, whose family owns the Sacramento Kings, said he doesn't think the city should wait too long in its attempt to build an arena. He doesn't believe a team would move to Las Vegas without a place to play first.

"You'd have to hand over the keys to the owner and let him control the revenue streams," he said. "Otherwise, you have a Seattle situation, where you have a bad lease and nobody wins."

His brother Joe echoed the importance of a new arena.

"You can use the Thomas & Mack short term," he said. "But long term, you have to have a modern facility. That's the only way you're getting a team here."

The Maloofs said an 18,000- to 19,000-seat building with luxury suites, club seating, bars and a restaurant would be ideal.

"You're looking at the same kind of building as in Miami, in Dallas, in a lot of NBA cities," Joe Maloof said.

Sig Rogich, a longtime resident who helped get the Jazz to Las Vegas when he owned R&R Advertising, said he doubts anything will happen immediately.

"I don't see the sports book industry giving up its right to have betting on the NBA," Rogich said. "To me, the arena issue is secondary to the gambling issue. Gambling is our lifeblood. It's what built this city. To me, it's not worth giving that up just to say we have a professional sports team.

"But I think over time the NBA will change its mind. Gambling ... has been more accepted by the mainstream."

Former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian said he thinks Las Vegas can support the NBA now.

"The city's so much bigger," he said. "There's so much money out there. I believe it would work."

Basketball and the NBA are far more visible in the city now than before.

Las Vegas hosts the Vegas Summer League for two weeks each July, featuring 16 NBA teams with their rookies and young veterans. The Lakers annually play preseason games at the Thomas & Mack Center. USA Basketball enlisted the NBA's support to bring the Olympic qualifying tournament to town, which is scheduled for Aug. 22 to Sept. 2.

"I believe Oscar Goodman is going to get it done here," Joe Maloof said. "Vegas will be a huge success story, hopefully sooner than later."