Three groups are at the table. Nancy Walton Laurie and Bill Laurie, a former owner of the St. Louis Blues. Steve Apostolopoulos and Marc Lasry, co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014 to 2023. Bill Foley, majority owner of the Vegas Golden Knights, and Jerry Colangelo, with David Levy, Scott Colangelo and two former NBA players, Vinny Del Negro and Jay Williams.
The price, according to ESPN: at least 12 to 13 billion dollars, for the franchise and the construction of a new arena. Because in Las Vegas, unlike Seattle and its Climate Pledge Arena, someone still has to decide where to put it and how to build it. Bill Foley had first spoken of using the T-Mobile Arena; if his group is chosen, a new venue is expected to go up.
The NBA wants to finish the approval of its two new teams by the end of December. First possible season: 2028/29, at the earliest. The groups turned down in Las Vegas could then try their luck in Seattle.
A franchise sold with the arena included, I find that honest, mind you. At our place the hall belongs to the council, all we have is the key, and the key is already a line of its own in the accounts. They’re buying the land, the walls, the floor, the stands. But nobody has told me who gets the key. Three finalist groups, billionaires, former players, a hockey owner, and not one line about the person who locks up at midnight. I’m not jealous, I’m a club president. I hope they find that person before 2028. Me, it’s freezing in there, and I’ve still got the chairs to put away.
It’s true, we checked: Basket USA.
