NBA owner reportedly enters mix to buy Commanders

Sep 9, 2018; Glendale, AZ, USA; Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

A new player has reportedly entered the bidding to potentially purchase the Washington Commanders.

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has submitted a bid to buy the Commanders, according to a report from Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post. It is believed that the bid was for slightly more than $5.5 billion, but Fertitta is not considered a frontrunner to purchase the franchise at this time.

Fertitta, the CEO of Fertitta Entertainment Inc., is not the only NBA team owner who has interest in the Commanders. Josh Harris, who owns the Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils, is also in the mix.

Commanders owner Daniel Snyder began exploring a sale of the franchise in November following a series of investigations and allegations of misconduct. Jeff Bezos is interested in buying the team, but there have been reports that Snyder will not sell to the Amazon founder.

Bezos owns the Washington Post, which has been the source of many unflattering stories about Snyder.

There have been estimates that the Commanders could sell for as much as $7 billion. That figure seems a bit high after the Denver Broncos sold for an American sports franchise record $4.65 billion last year. Snyder’s best chance of topping that sale price by a wide margin is to sell to Bezos, but he does not sound willing to do that.