It’s been a busy week for Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob after he bought the new WNBA franchise that will be calling the Bay Area home. Even with that new purchase, Lacob might be in the market for yet another sports franchise.
During the press conference for the unveiling of the Bay Area WNBA team, Lacob stated he’d be interested in buying the Oakland Athletics if current owner John Fisher was looking to sell.
“We’ve over the years been obviously very interested,” Lacob said. “You all know that I’ve said it, and if for whatever reason [Fisher] decided it wasn’t going to work, sure, we might be interested.”
The Athletics have long been rumored to be moving the team to Las Vegas, but the move isn’t official quite yet. As a result, if Lacob were to purchase the team, it’s possible he could choose to keep it in the Bay Area.
“You have to have someone who wants to sell something to be interested in buying it,” Lacob added. He noted he wasn’t “throwing my hat in the ring,” but just pointing out that he’s been a fan of the team for many years.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has previously stated a formal vote on the move is expected to take place in November. The league’s relocation committee was scheduled to meet last week to discuss more details pertaining to the team’s move to Las Vegas. The relocation committee includes Philadelphia Philies CEO John Middleton and Kansas City Royals CEO John Sherman.
According to Forbes, the Athletics are currently valued at $1.18 billion, while Lacob’s Warriors have a $7 billion value. Lacob is currently investing $50 million in the Bay Area’s new WNBA franchise.
