No way. Bonkers. A real stretch.
That’s the response I got in our Slack thread after floating MacKenzie Scott as a potential buyer of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The NBA franchise is up for sale. The estate of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen made the announcement Tuesday, following a directive from Allen, who bought the team for $70 million in 1988.
The buyer will need some serious dough. The Boston Celtics are being sold for a reported $6.1 billion. The average NBA team valuation is around $4.6 billion.
Scott, the billionaire Seattle philanthropist, could afford it.
Sure, she doesn’t appear to be a huge NBA fan — or someone who seeks the limelight. Still, Portland sports columnist John Canzano reported in 2022 that Scott was rumored to be interested in the team.
Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (more on him later), certainly has the capital, with a net worth close to $30 billion, according to Forbes.
Her connections to Portland seem tenuous, though Scott’s Yield Giving foundation has given millions to several nonprofits in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
As a longtime Blazers fan, I like the idea of a low-key ultra-wealthy novelist buying the team and becoming the first woman to own an NBA franchise. It would be unique, in true Portland fashion. By the way, Portland’s new WNBA team will start playing in 2026.
But it seems like a long shot. Buying a sports franchise doesn’t really square with Scott’s vibe. And ChatGPT tells me that “there is no public evidence indicating that Scott has a personal passion for sports or basketball.”
OK, then. So maybe not MacKenzie. And now that Nike co-founder Phil Knight — who reportedly offered to buy the team in 2022 — says he’s out of the running, what other billionaire might make a bid?
Jeff Bezos (net worth: $226 billion)
There were conflicting reports about Bezos’ interest in buying the Celtics, but the Amazon chairman clearly has sports ownership on his radar. He was reportedly outbid in an attempt to buy the Washington Commanders, and there has been speculation over Bezos and the Seattle Seahawks (also owned by the Allen estate). But perhaps Bezos will wait this one out and make a move to help bring the Sonics back to Seattle, the home of Amazon (now a key broadcast partner for the NBA).
Larry Ellison (net worth: $202 billion)
The Oracle co-founder has tried to buy an NBA franchise three times since 2010. He doesn’t have any obvious ties to Portland. But he’s got the capital to make another NBA bid and is still making big investments. The Pacific Northwest offers some decent sailing opportunities, too.
Who do you think will try to buy the Blazers? Email us at [email protected] with your ideas.
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