By Sam Farmer
Los Angeles Times
The Washington Commanders appear to be on the verge of changing hands.
Daniel Snyder, the NFL’s most widely reviled team owner, has reached an agreement in principle to sell the Commanders for $6 billion to a group led by Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris, according to a Thursday report by Sportico.
The Harris group includes Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
The news comes on the heels of reports earlier this week that a bid from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was not coming, even though that was anticipated by some.
Harris, who also owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, is estimated by Forbes to have a net worth of $5.9 billion. His group also includes businessman Mitchell Rales, worth an estimated $5.6 billion.
Speculation about new owners has been percolating since November, when Daniel and Tanya Snyder announced they had hired Bank of America to begin the process of potentially selling part or all of the team.
The anticipated sale of the Commanders, which requires approval of three-quarters of the other 31 clubs, was a major topic at the annual league meetings. The Denver Broncos were the last NFL franchise to change hands, selling for a record $4.65 billion in August.