New LeBron James Rumors on Lakers Star's Pursuit of NBA Ownership Amid Las Vegas Expansion Buzz

Fenway Sports Group is "not currently interested" in bidding for the NBA's reported expansion team in Las Vegas, according to The Athletic's Joe Vardon and Mike Vorkunov, a blow for LeBron James and his long-stated desire to potentially become a partial-owner of an NBA franchise in Sin City.

Per that report, "FSG was long expected to be James' primary financial backer in his stated desire to be an NBA team owner, and because of that, a source close to James said, 'With Fenway no longer pursuing NBA ownership, it is less likely that LeBron will pursue a team.'"

Granted, it may be a moot point if James decides to play in the 2026-27. The NBA does not allow current players to also be owners, and the Las Vegas and Seattle expansion franchises could debut as soon as the beginning of the 2028-29 season. If he plays next season, it's unlikely he could thread the needle of retiring before the Las Vegas franchise was purchased.

James has been partnered with FSG since 2011 and is a partial owner of Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox.

He has said multiple times, publicly, that he wanted to eventually own an NBA franchise and said in 2022, "I want a team in Vegas. I want the team in Vegas."

If it's going to happen, however, it seems unlikely to be with FSG as his partners, which has reportedly been dissuaded by the skyrocketing valuations of NBA franchises. Vardon and Vorkunov noted the league is reportedly "seeking expansion fees as high as $8 billion per team."

The expansion process isn't officially underway either, with team governors set to vote on March 25 whether the league should begin vetting Seattle and Vegas as expansion markets. A Seattle franchise has seemed inevitable since the Supersonics left for Oklahoma City, however, while Las Vegas has been a hotbed for expansion and relocation in basically every other prominent North American professional sports league.