Robert Sarver is in Big Trouble (ANNOUNCES SALE PROCESS)

[overseascardfan]

Put me in the Bezos camp. I would love to have richest person in world as owner because there would be no cost cutting moves and I don't think he would be the meddling type because he has so many other ventures to keep him occupied.

Yes, Amazon's business practices and treatment of employees isn't the best but the same could be said for Walmart but no one objected to the Walton's buying Broncos. One bright side to Bezos owning Suns is he may want to branch out into football and baseball and definitely has the dough to to buy all 3 AZ sports franchises.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Put me in the Bezos camp. I would love to have richest person in world as owner because there would be no cost cutting moves and I don't think he would be the meddling type because he has so many other ventures to keep him occupied.

Yes, Amazon's business practices and treatment of employees isn't the best but the same could be said for Walmart but no one objected to the Walton's buying Broncos. One bright side to Bezos owning Suns is he may want to branch out into football and baseball and definitely has the dough to to buy all 3 AZ sports franchises.

We just don't know that. I suspect he's a bottom line guy, we need a passionate Mark Cuban type owner. If that's the richest person in the world, wonderful but if not then I'd hope for someone else. I want someone to approach this like Ballmer does, someone that's fully invested, emotionally and financially.

 

[NashDishesDimes]

We just don't know that. I suspect he's a bottom line guy, we need a passionate Mark Cuban type owner. If that's the richest person in the world, wonderful but if not then I'd hope for someone else. I want someone to approach this like Ballmer does, someone that's fully invested, emotionally and financially.

I mean I dont think Bezos buys a team for ‘investment’ as much as enjoyment. When youre worth what he is, this is nothing more than fun for him.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I mean I dont think Bezos buys a team for ‘investment’ as much as enjoyment. When youre worth what he is, this is nothing more than fun for him.

If that's the case, sign me up. Like I said, I want someone that's fully invested emotionally not just financially.

 

[Proximo]

Put me in the Bezos camp. I would love to have richest person in world as owner because there would be no cost cutting moves and I don't think he would be the meddling type because he has so many other ventures to keep him occupied.

Yes, Amazon's business practices and treatment of employees isn't the best but the same could be said for Walmart but no one objected to the Walton's buying Broncos. One bright side to Bezos owning Suns is he may want to branch out into football and baseball and definitely has the dough to to buy all 3 AZ sports franchises.

Musk will be the richest man in the world, and by a long shot very soon. He will be the first trillionare.

I really am not much of a fan of Bezos personally, but if he would stay hands off, and he probably would since he has several other things going on, I am sure he would have no trouble spending.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Musk will be the richest man in the world, and by a long shot very soon. He will be the first trillionare.

I really am not much of a fan of Bezos personally, but if he would stay hands off, and he probably would since he has several other things going on, I am sure he would have no trouble spending.

If he's willing to lose money year by year in order to see his investment grow, than maybe. But so many of these wealthy types want to earn a lot of money right now AND still see their investment grow. And I have no idea which one Bezos would be.

 

[Covert Rain]

We need a rich owner with really deep pockets that is OK with the franchise not being a cash cow for them. An owner that wants to win. If the Suns go with another ownership group, that could still be the case but the team answers to more owners and that increases the likelihood of major profits being a driving force. We need a competitive billionaire.

 

[Mainstreet]

A lot of people doing stuff. That's one of the reasons the NBA only slapped Sarver on the wrist.

Let's put all the cards on the table.

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[Bufalay]

This all feels very strange, rooting for a specific rich person to purchase my favorite basketball team. Seems too far removed from the sport.

 

[AzStevenCal]

This all feels very strange, rooting for a specific rich person to purchase my favorite basketball team. Seems too far removed from the sport.

Point this out 20 years ago and I'd agree with you. But today, having lived with Sarver as the team owner for almost two decades, I can hardly think of anything sport related that would matter more to me.

 

[MigratingOsprey]

This all feels very strange, rooting for a specific rich person to purchase my favorite basketball team. Seems too far removed from the sport.

Ownership is the most important element in sports

With the current costs of acquisition, how the deal is financed also becomes really important

If they have to really leverage, then the next decade will be dealing with those obligations before real team investment

 

[MigratingOsprey]

Point this out 20 years ago and I'd agree with you. But today, having lived with Sarver as the team owner for almost two decades, I can hardly think of anything sport related that would matter more to me.

I've lived it with all the teams I follow.

I'm a Marlins fan - ownership has always been poor and they have 7 seasons above .500 (counting the COVID season) in 30 years.

The Seahawks had great local ownership in the Nordstroms. The team was part of the community and a solid young franchise. Sold to Behring and he tried to get the team to the LA market and the team was terrible. Paul Allen bought them and they've had a very good prior 20 years. They will have to sell at some point and when it happens everyone will be nervous

The Sonics were put in the hospital by Howard Schultz and then killed by Clay Bennett and his group.

The Sharks have been fairly steady and not turbulent.

However, it's clear the coyotes have had terrible ownership over the years.

I went to my first Chelsea match when they were a solidly competitive team under the lead of Ken Bates. Roman obviously pumped in cash and accelerated they vision to where the team was globally competitive. Will see how the Boehley ownership does.

The team I follow in Italy had a short sighted owner with a giant ego and short money. The team did manage to stay up, barely, for over a decade. They sold to an American fund last year and were able to sort out the debts and start working on a plan for sustainability - but did get relegated.

Bad ownership may find a periodic flash in the pan, but it's rarely sustained and more often than not it's long term losing and community apathy

 

[overseascardfan]

We just don't know that. I suspect he's a bottom line guy, we need a passionate Mark Cuban type owner. If that's the richest person in the world, wonderful but if not then I'd hope for someone else. I want someone to approach this like Ballmer does, someone that's fully invested, emotionally and financially.

The man spends money, his space race with Musk is proof that his is not a bottom line guy. He may be that way with Amazon but I'm sure he is buddies with other sports owners and understands that professional athletes are not warehouse workers / truck drivers whose salaries you can control. If he is worried about losing money I don't think he would have reached out about a possible purchase of Suns. As someone mentioned, if its an ownership group with a bunch of investors like our current ownership then yes bottom line is the motivation for their operations but a man who needs no group to make a purchase runs by a different set of rules in my opinion. He is not going to buy a team a have it become a laughing stock like PHX was a few years ago, Bezos cares about his image too much from what I see.

Musk will be the richest man in the world, and by a long shot very soon. He will be the first trillionare.

I really am not much of a fan of Bezos personally, but if he would stay hands off, and he probably would since he has several other things going on, I am sure he would have no trouble spending.

I m just going off of present. Bezos would be richest individual sports owner, how about that? Musk hasn't shown any interest sports ownership I believe but if he is interested in Suns then great.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

It would make zero sense for Sarver to only sell his 30%. He will get more buyers interested in paying more if he sells the entirety of the ownership. There are groups or buyers that will pay a premium to have a fresh slate with total control or handpicked minority ownership group. He is going to sell the entire thing to maximize his profit.

The obvious fresh slate, unfortunately, would also mean that Jones and Williams could be jettisoned by a new owner. That would set the team back, IMO, more than keeping Sarver in the shadows.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

I can’t remember the last Ramona was right about anything.

She's obviously got an ASFN account...She picked the exact 4 names being mentioned on here yesterday...haha

 

[Mainstreet]

The obvious fresh slate, unfortunately, would also mean that Jones and Williams could be jettisoned by a new owner. That would set the team back, IMO, more than keeping Sarver in the shadows.

Anything can happen, but firing recent coach of the year Monty Williams (2022) and executive of the year James Jones (2021) doesn't sound like a smart idea.

 

[Phrazbit]

Anything can happen, but firing recent coach of the year Monty Williams (2022) and executive of the year James Jones (2021) doesn't sound like a smart idea.

No matter who buys the team, Monty and Jones are going to be under a lot of pressure to get immediate results. New owners typically overhaul upper management rather quickly, it’s just the way it is.

 

[Mainstreet]

No matter who buys the team, Monty and Jones are going to be under a lot of pressure to get immediate results. New owners typically overhaul upper management rather quickly, it’s just the way it is.

The Suns are in position to keep winning, especially if they can strengthen the point guard and power forward positions.

 

[Cheesebeef]

No matter who buys the team, Monty and Jones are going to be under a lot of pressure to get immediate results. New owners typically overhaul upper management rather quickly, it’s just the way it is.

To be honest, if this team backslides a little bit and loses in the 1st or 2nd round, it’ll be time for Monty to go as he clearly won’t be the guy to get them over the finish line. He’ll be the Doug Collins/Del Harris who did great jobs putting young Bulls and Lakers team together but needed a Phil Jackson to reach the pinnacle.

 

[Covert Rain]

To be honest, if this team backslides a little bit and loses in the 1st or 2nd round, it’ll be time for Monty to go as he clearly won’t be the guy to get them over the finish line. He’ll be the Doug Collins/Del Harris who did great jobs putting young Bulls and Lakers team together but needed a Phil Jackson to reach the pinnacle.

Yep. His lack of adjustments has been really disturbing. I think Jones is in the clear for a bit. Things could turn for Monty if they team bows out early again.

 

[elindholm]

This all feels very strange, rooting for a specific rich person to purchase my favorite basketball team. Seems too far removed from the sport.

Not much different from rooting for a specific rich person to play for your team.

 

[Covert Rain]

This all feels very strange, rooting for a specific rich person to purchase my favorite basketball team. Seems too far removed from the sport.

I am rooting for me to become suddenly rich enough to purchase the team.

 

[Bufalay]

Not much different from rooting for a specific rich person to play for your team.

Yes, if I think to hard about it the whole thing falls apart. Kind of like when I found out that pro wrestling is fake.

 

[Covert Rain]

A lot of people doing stuff. That's one of the reasons the NBA only slapped Sarver on the wrist.

Let's put all the cards on the table.

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Stephen A. Smith is a tool.

So, he knows for a fact there are other coaches doing the same thing? Is that what he means by "White folks doing their thing"? He doesn't. Not only that but he said the Celtics were wrong to put it out there? No they weren't. If a coach is going to get suspended at all, those reasons always come out. The same way they come out if ANY coach is suspended. The could have said something generic as the reason but it always leaks.

He's dumb. Now if he wanted to complain that relative to what Sarver did it seems harsh or something like that? I would be with him.

 

[Mainstreet]

Stephen A. Smith is a tool.

So, he knows for a fact there are other coaches doing the same thing? Is that what he means by "White folks doing their thing"? He doesn't. Not only that but he said the Celtics were wrong to put it out there? No they weren't. If a coach is going to get suspended at all, those reasons always come out. The same way they come out if ANY coach is suspended. The could have said something generic as the reason but it always leaks.

He's dumb. Now if he wanted to complain that relative to what Sarver did it seems harsh or something like that? I would be with him.

I don't know why he put in "white folks" in there because people of every color do the wrong thing.

The NBA just disciplined Sarver.