The Philadelphia 76ers just hired Jerry Colangelo as their “Special Advisor to the Managing General Partner and Chairman of Basketball Operations” — yes, that’s his official title — and Mitch Lawrence of Forbes reported that more changes could be coming. Forbes quoted an anonymous source saying that 76ers owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer want to sell the team and focus on bringing an NFL team to London:
“They’re more interested in getting the NFL in London than they are in the NBA,” the source said. “Their No. 1 goal is to get the NFL team in London. Colangelo used to own the Phoenix Suns, and league sources speculated to CBS Sports’ Ken Berger that his deal with Philadelphia likely includes an ownership stake. NFL rules prohibit owners from having a majority ownership stake in another team in a different city with an NFL team, so Harris and Blitzer would have to sell the Sixers if they do indeed become NFL owners.
Back in training camp in October, Harris told reporters the same thing that the team said Thursday: He plans to stick around long-term:
“I expect to happily be involved with the Sixers for many, many years,” Harris said. “There are no plans to sell [the team]. Our ultimate goal has not changed and that’s to bring an NBA championship to Philly.”
More than the Colangelo hire, any change in ownership would signal a departure from Philadelphia’s multiyear plan to return to relevance. General manager Sam Hinkie’s “process” would not be possible without the support and the patience of ownership. Despite all the losing, the team’s value has increased in the past couple of years because of the NBA’s massive new television deal. The question here is how committed Harris and Blitzer are to seeing this rebuild through.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
