New Orleans - Ken Trahan, WGSO - George Shinn is getting close to selling a minority interest in the New Orleans Hornets but there is no deal done as of yet. That was the message conveyed by Shinn's son Chad at a news conference this afternoon at the Dryades YMCA in New Orleans.

"We are talking to a bunch of different groups but we do not have any deals yet," said the younger Shinn, who serves as Executive Officer of the Board for the Hornets. His father, the team's owner, is vacationing in Florida and was not at the news conference to introduce new number one draft choice Julian Wright of Kansas.

Shinn did confirm that Gary Chouest of Edison Chouest Offshore, a lucrative marine supply company, is one of those in serious talks with the Hornets about purchasing a minority interest in the team. Though Shinn would not say what percentages of minority interest are being discussed, sources tell WGSO, 990 AM that the figure that Chouest has settled on is 25 percent.

Reiterating his father's position of earlier today, Chad Shinn said that the majority interest in ownership will remain in the Shinn family: "We will always have the majority interest in the Hornets," said Shinn.

Shinn added that the Hornets are still in negotiations with the state of Louisiana on the proposed practice facility to be attached to New Orleans Arena and on a possible extension of the current lease, which runs through 2011.

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