The Milwaukee Bucks may soon be under new ownership.
Shams Charania of The Athletic delivered a bombshell report on Friday afternoon. Charania reported that the current Milwaukee co-owner, Marc Lasry, is reportedly in “serious talks” to sell his stake of the team to Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam.
American businessman/Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Haslam Sports Group are in serious talks to buy Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry's stake in the Bucks, sources tell me, @sam_amick and @eric_nehm.
Story at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/SoHa0IPIBE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2023
Charania wrote in the report on The Athletic about the potential sale:
American businessman Jimmy Haslam and Haslam Sports Group are in serious talks to buy Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry’s stake in the Bucks, league sources tell The Athletic.
If Lasry agrees to finalize the deal, Haslam would join the ownership group with current co-owner Wes Edens. Lasry has spent recent weeks contemplating the decision to potentially sell his Bucks stake to Haslam Sports Group, sources said.
Haslam would control Lasry’s share of the team alongside Wes Edens, the other co-owner of the Bucks. According to ESPN, that is 25%.
This would be a significant move, to say the least. Lasry has owned the Bucks since 2014. Under Lasry and Edens, the team has exponentially grown into one of the best teams in the NBA. They won the 2021 NBA Finals, which secured their first NBA championship since 1971. They also helped maintain the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. Such a move helped keep the Bucks a power and a force in the NBA, despite Milwaukee not being the biggest of markets.
There is no telling what a change in ownership could mean for the Bucks outside the change of names on the proverbial deed.
The NBA world reacted to the shocking news by blasting the reported move.
— Patrick (@patrickksl) February 10, 2023
Haslam's company was busy defrauding customers while he pocketed enough disposable income to buy a minority stake in a third different sports franchise https://t.co/9NrWlyfTUR
— Mason Ginsberg (@MasonGinsberg) February 10, 2023
for the first time ever Jimmy Haslam might help a Cleveland team get closer to a title https://t.co/MDqOt4T3Zt
— actioncookbook (@actioncookbook) February 10, 2023
Welp RIP to the Bucks https://t.co/x0Ub7fUEb5
— Nicholas Snider ☈ (@snider_wx) February 10, 2023
Absolutely not https://t.co/yoJFJZmare
— Moneybagg Yo(hannes) 🇪🇷 (@AronYohannes) February 10, 2023
https://twitter.com/SirYacht_/status/1624141069272088576
For anyone who is superstitious… this is terrible news. https://t.co/gRSQEKFWDK
— Wisconsin Clothing Company (@WiscoClothingCo) February 10, 2023
Let the countdown begin on when Giannis demands a trade. #Bucks https://t.co/5nw1arOK7k
— Matt Higgins (@MattHiggins80) February 10, 2023
Milwaukee is about to get some really nice escalators. https://t.co/UeKXqoZt2j
— Scott (@WFNYScott) February 10, 2023
Haslam is loaded but uh, the Browns are uh, well let's just say Haslam's ownership of them has not materially improved their situation https://t.co/MnePQVoOXN
— rcon14 (@rcon14) February 10, 2023
It was a good run, Bucks. https://t.co/InTE7OLGf0
— Bruno Starzz's 12-seed Culture (@getsit) February 10, 2023
