NBA News: Milwaukee Bucks ‘Close to Being Sold’ According to Bill Simmons
Will the Milwaukee Bucks follow the path of the Seattle Supersonics franchise? The worst team in the league is about to get sold according to writer Bill Simmons, who shared the news via Twitter.
Hearing the Milwaukee Bucks are very VERY close to being sold pending league approval. Might be done already. PS: Not to the Seattle guys.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) April 5, 2014
Simmons, who is the creator and editor-in-chief of the popular sports and pop culture website Grantland.com and ESPN.com, also added that a sale is all but a done deal pending league approval.
Judging by the Bucks fans’ reactions, it appears to be for the better as the fan-base has grown tired of the current ownership and the mediocrity it has produced. The current owner is 79-year-old former U.S. senator Herb Kohl.
However, most fans are not worried about the possible sale to a new owner or owners however as they believe that the team won’t be relocated a la the Sonics in 2006 when the franchise was moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City.
Off last tweet: the NBA has been helping Herb Kohl quietly shop the Bucks around w/o letting it turn into a stay-or-leave soap opera. — Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) April 5, 2014
“There’s interest — three or four groups are legitimate potential buyers,” Ted Kellner, chairman of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, told the Milwaukee Business Journal. “That’s good news.”
Off last tweet: NBA would rather see Bucks stay in Milwaukee but a new arena has to be part of it. Franchise alone will go for 525-550 mill.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) April 5, 2014
One of the prospective owners is Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio although he divulged nothing in the same article in the Milwaukee Business Journal.
“I’m not allowed to talk about what I talk about or don’t talk about - and don’t make a policy of it anyway," said Attanasio. "I don’t talk about conversations that I have with third parties or not. So if I did or I didn’t, I wouldn’t tell you.”
Milwaukee has the worst record this year in the entire league with just a 14-63 win-loss record. Most of their fans are not whining however as the “tanking” has been acceptable if not tolerable because of the quality and depth of the upcoming 2014 NBA Draft.
A high draft pick and an eventual positive change in ownership. For the Bucks, 2014 will be about the year of taking one step backwards and two steps forward.