Ownership of the Houston Rockets NBA franchise is in substantive talks with the Connecticut Sun about a potential purchase and relocation of the WNBA franchise, ESPN reported Friday, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
ESPN said the talks have been described as positive, though no agreement has been reached, and the parties have not entered an exclusivity period.
ESPN reported that Houston has long been viewed by the WNBA as a strong candidate for a franchise, and that any sale would continue a broader league trend toward WNBA teams being owned by NBA ownership groups.
The Sun have been owned by the Mohegan Tribal Nation since 2003, when the franchise relocated from Orlando to Uncasville.
Gov. Ned Lamont last week cast doubt on the team’s long-term future in the state.
Speaking Dec. 11 at the MetroHartford Alliance’s annual meeting, Lamont said his “instinct” is that the Sun are likely headed to a larger television market, though he said the recently renovated PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford could host a limited number of Sun games next season.
The Sun’s future has been uncertain since the Mohegan Tribal Nation put the franchise up for sale earlier this year.
Several ownership groups have expressed interest, including a Boston-based group that reportedly offered more than $300 million and a separate Hartford-backed proposal tied to billionaire Marc Lasry.
State officials have also discussed whether Connecticut pension funds could play a role in an ownership structure, though Lamont has said there are indications the WNBA favors placing the franchise in a larger media market.
