Robert Sarver is on his way out in Phoenix, and he could ultimately be replaced by a much bigger name.
Sarver, who owns the NBA’s Phoenix Suns as well as the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, announced on Wednesday that he intends to put both franchises up for sale. The 60-year-old Sarver was recently suspended for one year and fined $10 million by the NBA after an investigation into allegations of racist, misogynistic and otherwise toxic behavior by Sarver in the workplace. You can read about the findings of the NBA investigation here.
Appearing Wednesday on the show “NBA Today” (h/t NBA Reddit) Ramona Shelburne of ESPN listed four potential candidates to purchase the Suns amid the news that Sarver plans to sell them. Shelburne named Jeff Bezos (founder and former CEO of Amazon), Bob Iger (former CEO of Disney), Laurene Jobs (founder and chair of Emerson Collective as well as the widow of the late Steve Jobs) and Larry Ellison (former CEO of Oracle Corporation) as possible buyers.
Bezos, one of the richest people in the world, is a particularly interesting name. He has recently sunk his teeth into the NFL and is a native of New Mexico, Arizona’s neighbor to the east. Iger is an intriguing candidate as well since Disney owns ESPN, a primary broadcast partner of the NBA.
Sarver purchased the Suns in 2004 for $401 million but will likely be able to fetch several billion for the franchise by selling them in 2022. None of the names Shelburne mentioned should have any trouble whatsoever funding a potential purchase of the Suns either.
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