Amazon founder Jeff Bezos could possibly be within the combine to purchase the Boston Celtics, in accordance with The Ringer’s Invoice Simmons, who mentioned on his podcast on Sunday that the NBA needs the franchise to promote for $6 billion. On July 1, two weeks after successful the 2024 NBA championship, the Celtics introduced that their possession group, led by Wyc Grousbeck, deliberate to promote the workforce.

Simmons mentioned he had “a bunch of knowledge” about what he described as “an enormous, enormous subject proper now within the circles of individuals that may wish to purchase a workforce.” Here is what he advised Chuck Klosterman on the podcast:

• Irving Grousbeck, Wyc’s 90-year-old father, is “driving the sale,” Simmons mentioned, and “he simply needs the very best value,” so potential consumers with ties to Boston is not going to have an edge. In current days, there was “professional buzz” about Bezos being thinking about shopping for the franchise. “I feel it is actual,” he mentioned. “I feel he’ll be one of many suitors.”
• The NBA needs the promote value to be $6 billion. “They do not personal their enviornment,” Simmons mentioned. “It is a loopy value, however they’re most likely going to get it.”
• Why $6 billion? The league needs to “set up a value” with this sale as a precursor to growth, in accordance with Simmons. “They wish to get $6 billion apiece” in growth charges for groups in Seattle and Las Vegas, “which might imply a test of $400 million to each NBA proprietor, all 30,” he mentioned. Simmons additionally mentioned that Mexico Metropolis is “type of looming as a 3rd workforce.”

For context, mortgage lender Mat Ishbia purchased the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Mercury in 2022 for $4 billion. The Nets and Liberty had been valued at $6 billion when proprietor Joe Tsai bought a minority stake in June.

In February 2023, Bezos employed funding agency Allen & Firm to guage a possible bid for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, however a gaggle led by Josh Harris in the end purchased the franchise. The Washington Submit reported in April 2023 that Bezos had curiosity in ultimately buying the Seattle Seahawks.

This offseason, the Celtics signed Jayson Tatum to a five-year contract extension value $314 million, the most important contract in NBA historical past. (Earlier than that, the five-year, $285 million extension that Boston’s Jaylen Brown signed in the summertime of 2023 was the most important in historical past.) The workforce additionally signed Derrick White to a four-year, $118 million extension. The Celtics’ roster is projected to be traditionally costly within the coming years.