The Philadelphia 76ers are apparently at risk of being moved a few miles to the East. According to Tom Bergeron of ROI-NJ News, the State of New Jersey is making a hard push to get the 76ers to Camden in light of the team’s struggles to secure a new arena in Center City Philadelphia.
“The State of New Jersey is making a serious push to convince the Philadelphia 76ers to move to New Jersey and into a new arena that would be built in Camden, four people familiar with the discussions confirmed to ROI-NJ. The sources indicated that talks have picked up recently, in part because HBSE’s efforts to build a new arena in Center City Philadelphia have hit repeated roadblocks, despite the fact that the owners have indicated they would self-finance the $1.3 billion proposed project.”
The 76ers were initially founded back in 1939 as the Nationals before eventually becoming the Philadelphia 76ers. The team has been the heart and soul of the city, which has a tremendous basketball culture. From Allen Iverson to Moses Malone and Joel Embiid, the 76ers have been home to countless stars and they’ve had plenty of unforgettable moments in between.
Over the past few years, however, the 76ers have been trying to negotiate a new arena out in the center of the city and the owners have even offered to cover the funds for the project.
But with negotiations falling apart, New Jersey sees an opportunity to seize the 76ers for their own state. They’ve already proposed a plan that will put the team in a new arena in Camden, just a few minutes from Wells Fargo Center.
It’s an ambitious move from the folks in Jersey, and they’ve actually had a team before. Years ago, the Nets used to be based in New Jersey — first in East Rutherford and then in Newark. They had an impressive base of loyal fans and an arena that was regularly filled with large crowds.
Those days have long passed in Jersey but it’s clear that the lawmakers there are open to an NBA return in some form and if they can make it happen by luring away a team from another city it will be the perfect opportunity.
As for the franchise as a whole, their ambitions will remain unchanged regardless of which city they are playing in. With Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George, Daryl Morey has assembled a new big three and they are hoping that it will be enough to challenge the Boston Celtics as the favorites in the East.
The franchise hasn’t won a title since 1983, but next season could be their best chance to get one in years. If Embiid can play at an MVP level again and stay healthy through the post-season, the 76ers will be no easy team to face and they might just win it all.
If it were up to the 76ers, they would stay in Philadelphia and have that fancy new arena to match their status as one of the best teams in the league. But with the city refusing to cooperate right now, they’ll have to settle for the status quo… or opt for something new entirely.
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