Houston Rockets ownership is in substantive talks with the Connecticut Sun over the potential purchase and relocation of the WNBA franchise, sources told ESPN this week.
The discussions have been described as “positive,” and Rockets ownership has improved its offer to a number the Sun might find acceptable, a source close to the situation said.
The source said that while a formal offer has been discussed, the parties have not signed an exclusivity agreement and there has not been a decision on the future of the franchise.
The WNBA previously indicated strong interest in a return to Houston. At the league’s three-team expansion announcement in June, commissioner Cathy Engelbert specifically highlighted Houston and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta as “up next” and “the one we have our eye on.”
The Sun have been owned by the Mohegan tribe since 2003, when they bought and relocated the franchise from Orlando, Florida, to Uncasville, Connecticut. A sale to Rockets ownership would mark the latest example of the WNBA moving toward having more teams with NBA owners.
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The hope is that a resolution on the franchise’s future can be determined before free agency, where all but two league veterans are not under contract. The exact timing of free agency, though, is uncertain as the league and players’ union continue to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, with a deadline for a deal currently set for Jan. 9.
There’s some further detail on the recent history of the Sun franchise and attempts to sell and relocate it, so read the rest for that. We first heard about this specific possibility a few months ago when the WNBA finished its latest round of expansion, in which Houston came up short but was clearly still desired by the league. This would solve two problems at once, and speaking personally would feel good to have a franchise back in town. It seems to me based on this story that if this happens it could happen very soon. So much for a slow holiday news week. The Chron has more.