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Tilman Fertitta, the owner of the Houston Rockets, has also submitted a bid to the WNBA for an expansion team, a spokesperson for the Rockets confirmed to The Athletic. The prospective team would play its games at the Toyota Center, where the Rockets play.
Aside from Philadelphia, Nashville and Detroit, potential ownership groups representing Charlotte, Austin, Denver and Houston have all shown public or private interest in getting a WNBA team.
76ers owner Josh Harris: We're still really happy with Joel Embiid, he's a warrior
The 76ers still think Joel Embiid, who’s played in just 13 games this season, is a franchise-level player. “We’re still really happy with Joel,” 76ers majority owner Josh Harris told The Athletic this week. “He’s a warrior. I’ve seen this. He’s fought through a lot of injuries. You remember when we started, in his first (two) years, he didn’t play at all. And then, in his third year, he played 30-something games. And then, he fought through all of that, and became the MVP. So, he’s fighting right now, and we’re fighting. And I’m hopeful and optimistic that we’ll get through.”
Josh Harris: “I want him to get his body right and get on the court. If he gets back on the court, everything’s going to fall into place. I know him as a person, and I know him as an individual, and I know how hard he’s working. I think he’s also super-smart and very in-tune with his body. He has a whole team around him, and we have a whole team around him. He’s getting the absolute best care and best advice. I’m hopeful that he’ll fight through this and make it happen, and that’s what we’re going to plan for right now.”
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“I would say that, again, we always start with trying to build elite teams,” Harris told The Athletic. “We started this season with two potential Hall of Famers, and one All-Star. We were very excited about the season. Obviously, it’s been a disappointing season. No one’s happy with where we are. We’re not happy.”
76ers will "seriously" consider proposal to relocate team to New Jersey
A week after a city-sanctioned report cast doubt on the economic benefits of the Philadelphia 76ers’ proposed facility in Center City, the team received a written proposal from the state of New Jersey detailing a transformative arena project in Camden that the team could own and operate, should it choose to relocate to New Jersey. It is a proposal that the Sixers will look at seriously, a team spokesperson told ROI-NJ.
“We have worked tirelessly for the past five years to build an arena in Philadelphia, and negotiations remain ongoing with city leadership regarding our proposal at Market East,” the spokesperson said. “The reality is, we are running out of time to reach an agreement that will allow the 76ers to open our new home in time for the 2031-32 NBA season. As a result, we must take all potential options seriously, including this one.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and his economic development agency on Monday sent a letter detailing the offer to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the owner of the National Basketball Association franchise. The firm was created by David Blitzer, a senior executive at Blackstone Inc., and Josh Harris, a co-founder of Apollo Global Management Inc.
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New Jersey governor confirms talks to relocate the 76ers to the state
New Jersey’s government is indeed courting the Philadelphia 76ers to move across the Delaware River to the Garden State, Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed Monday. ROI-NJ reported last week that state officials in Murphy’s administration are making a pitch to the ownership of the NBA franchise to move to Camden as talks to build a new arena in Philly have been bumpy.
Murphy was asked Monday if that discussion is real. “It’s real in the sense there’s a serious conversation,” Murphy told reporters at the Statehouse in Trenton. “We’re blessed with a good relationship with these guys. Both the owners and the professionals who run Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment. … Both of them are already relevant in New Jersey.”
A Sixers spokesperson told Bergeron that the team “remains focused on bringing a state-of-the-art arena to Philadelphia, as we have been for the last four years.” The spokesperson added that the Sixers “are hopeful to reach an agreement with the city this summer to ensure legislation is introduced in early September.” This would allow the team, whose current lease at the Wells Fargo Center ends after the 2030-31 season, to be in its new home by the following year.
76ers owner Josh Harris officially buys NFL's Washington Commanders
Adam Schefter: A monumental Washington day: NFL owners now have unanimously approved the $6.05 billion sale of the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder to a group led by Josh Harris, per league source.
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