With the NBA as deep as it has ever been, and making more money than ever, now is the time to give serious consideration to expansion franchises.
Already, a lot of noise has been made about Las Vegas and Seattle, and the recent $4 billion purchase of the Phoenix Suns may give us a hint as to what’s to come.
Adrian Wojnarowski reveals that Mat Ishbia, a billionaire mortgage lender, is set to complete the purchase of the Phoenix Suns.
BREAKING: Billionaire mortgage lender Mat Ishbia is finalizing a purchase of the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. The deal, expected to be completed in the near future, would end the tumultuous tenure of owner Robert Sarver.
The league has the resources to support at least two expansion teams, although it’s still unknown where these teams will be or who will step up to own them.
According to Bill Simmons of The Ringer, however, LeBron James and FSG will be the ones to end up with a Vegas team while the Seattle franchise just turns into a massive bidding war.
The Suns are setting the market for the 2 expansion teams that are coming… Vegas (going to Fenway Sports Group/LeBron) and Seattle (bidding war). Now the NBA knows it can get minimum 4b for Vegas and 4.5 for Seattle. That’s the new price.
Also discussed on that 9/22 pod: the Suns are setting the market for the 2 expansion teams that are coming… Vegas (going to Fenway Sports Group/LeBron) and Seattle (bidding war).
Now the NBA knows it can get minimum 4m for Vegas and 4.5 for Seattle. That’s the new price.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) December 20, 2022
Can LeBron James Really Own A Las Vegas Expansion Team?
It will only be a few years before the NBA adds another basketball team, but it’s bound to happen soon enough with the current trajectory of the league.
While LeBron still has a long process to fill out before he can step into an ownership role, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has already recognized his dreams of owning a team.
One of LeBron James’ goals is to be a governor of an NBA team. Previously, he claimed that he wanted to own an NBA team in Las Vegas, and he also sent a direct message to Adam Silver in the process.
“I think its very healthy for the league when you have sort of this life-cycle of players moving into management, potentially moving into ownership,” Silver told Andrews on NBA Today. “Obviously Michael Jordan is the owner of Charlotte…its great for the ecosystem. I’m thrilled that LeBron aspires to be an NBA team owner one day. Las Vegas specifically will make a great location for a franchise one day. We have the WNBA team there, the Aces, that obviously just won the championship.”
LeBron is a part owner of the Fenway Sports Group, and already has a stake in some professional teams. As his career progressed, he has taken an increasing interest in expanding his business empire and FSG has been the perfect launching pad for him.
At this point, it seems like LeBron is destined to own his own team one day, and Las Vegas is probably the perfect place for him. There, he can continue to build his basketball legacy in a market ripe with business opportunities.
Who knows, it could even be a place he goes to finish his career (and team up with his son) when he becomes a free agent in 2024.
For now, though, he’s just trying to survive as the last remaining star in Los Angeles.
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