Robert Sarver is selling the Suns and Mercury

Sarver's reads in part:

"As a man of faith, I believe in atonement and the path to forgiveness. I expected that the commissioner's one-year suspension would provide the time for me to focus, make amends and remove my personal controversy from the teams that I and so many fans love.

But in our current unforgiving climate, it has become painfully clear that that is no longer possible – that whatever good I have done, or could still do, is outweighed by things I have said in the past. For those reasons, I am beginning the process of seeking buyers for the Suns and Mercury." 

Sarver seems to hint at "cancel culture" being the cause of his suspension, blaming "things I have said in the past." But the allegations against Sarver go beyond his repeated use of the n-word, or sexist language. Sarver was repeatedly sexually harassing his staff, including sending pornographic emails and exposing himself to staff members. That's not a free speech issue; that's workplace harassment and an abuse of power.

ESPN's Baxter Holmes broke the story of Sarver's history of racist and misogynistic behavior last November, and a months-long NBA investigation concluded with the maximum fine the league could levy against an owner. But Adam Silver stopped short of banning Sarver, as he previously did when similar allegation emered against former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in 2014.

However, Sarver's hold on the Suns - his stake in the team about 30% of the team, but the ownership agreement insulates him from removal by minority owners - began to slip last week. The second-largest owner, Jahm Najafi, demanded Sarver's resignation, saying in part:

"I cannot in good judgment sit back and allow our children and future generations of fans to think that this behavior is tolerated because of wealth and privilege.

"Therefore, in accordance with my commitment to helping eradicate any form of racism, sexism and bias, as Vice Chairman of the Phoenix Suns, I am calling for the resignation of Robert Sarver."

Najafi notably did not sign a letter of support for Sarver last fall when the allegations broke, nor did his brother, who is also a minority owner of the team. Najafi's interest in social justice seem in direct conflict with Sarver's casual sexism and racist language. For example, Najafi recently co-founded an investment firm with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The Suns' jersey patch sponsor and arena sales partner PayPal also came out against the embattled owner, saying they would not renew their deal, which expires at the end of the upcoming season, if Sarver were still with the organization. Perhaps the NBA and the Suns other owners saw PayPal as the first domino to fall among the Suns' partners and put pressure on Sarver to sell now and stave off further corporate defections.

Speculation will arise about who the new owner of the Suns and the Mercury will be - Najafi declared he had no interest in becoming majority partner - but for now, all we know is the owner will not be Robert Sarver much longer.