April 13, 2023
Kate Frese/For PhillyVoice
Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris courtside during a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Wells Fargo Center on January 4, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sixers owner Josh Harris looks like he will soon have an NFL franchise to his name as well, and an Eagles division rival at that.
Per Sportico, Harris has reached an agreement in principle to buy the Washington Commaders from current owner Dan Snyder for a reported $6 billion, which, upon completion, would entrust the beleaguered franchise to a bidding group that also includes Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
Harris' name has been floated around Commanders sale rumors for a while now – and the prospect of NFL ownership for even longer – and late last month, was reported to be lining up what appeared to be the now accepted $6 billion bid.
Harris is a Maryland native and grew up a fan of the Washington franchise, but the pending deal definitely has weird optics around it considering his Sixers ownership and the Commanders being an NFC East rival to Philadelphia, along with his ownership of the NHL's New Jersey Devils, a rival to the Flyers.
Harris and the rest of Sixers' ownership group have also been polarizing figures around the area of late because of their push to build an arena in Center City and the potential impact it could have on the surrounding community.
There also exists the thought that Harris might be spread too thin and his commitment to the Sixers could wane. However, our own Kyle Neubeck reported the following last month:
On the subject of Harris' commitment to the Sixers, a source familiar with the situation who spoke to PhillyVoice said that a successful bid would have no negative impact on the operations of any other team in Harris' portfolio, and that Harris remained committed to delivering a championship to Philadelphia. Taking ownership of the Commanders is viewed as an additive move.
EXCLUSIVE: Dan Snyder has reached an agreement in principle to sell the @Commanders for $6 billion to a group led by Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris
— Sportico (@Sportico) April 13, 2023
Harris’ group, includes billionaire Mitchell Rales and former NBA star @MagicJohnson pic.twitter.com/ZIWKqeqtmN
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