Latest On Commanders Bidders, Potential Sale Timeline
As the NFL owners’ meetings draw closer, attention is increasingly focused on the possible sale of the Commanders. The shortlist of bidders in the race to buy the embattled franchise seemed set, but some notable changes have become apparent in recent days.
Josh Harris’ bid has won in the form of a remarkable and trusted ally Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The NBA legend has joined the Harris group, as first reported by Sportico’s Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams. It’s unclear at this point how much capital Johnson might contribute, but he has a long history of becoming a minority in other professional sports franchises. 
The 63-year-old is involved in the Los Angeles Dodgers, the LA Sparks of the WNBA and the Major League Soccer Club LAFC. During the last offseason, Johnson became part of Harris’ ownership group trying to buy the Broncos, ultimately falling short on that occasion. The pair will now work together again to join the ownership of the NFL, although they will face increasing competition.
Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos has joined the list of interested applicants to tour the Commander’s facility and emerge as potential new owners, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Adam Schefter and John Keim. This makes him the third known bidder alongside Harris and the Houston Rockets Tilman Fertitawho was identified as one of the finalists for the purchase of the team last month.
The ESPN report notes that Apostolopoulos, a Harvard graduate whose personal fortune is an estimated $3.9 billion, had expressed interest in buying the Charlotte Hornets. Instead, he has now turned his attention to the NFL and the possibility of being involved in another record-breaking sale in terms of total price if the Commanders are sold in full.
Lurking about this ongoing process of course jeff bezos. The Amazon founder has long been considered the top name to watch among potential bidders due to his immense fortune and proximity to the franchise as the owner of the Washington Post. The latter factor, along with the personal tensions it’s caused between Bezos and the Commanders owner Dan Snyderhowever, was cited as the primary reason Bezos has reportedly been barred from participating in the bidding process so far.
As Ralph Vacchiano from Fox Sports tweetsHowever, many in the league still believe “it’s only a matter of time” before Bezos makes a last-minute bid that the other suitors can’t compete with to secure ownership of the Commanders. With potential new owners, however, he is holding back, at least for the time being.
The upcoming league summit was heralded as the time for a sale to be completed, as approval from the NFL’s other owners would be required to receive ratification. While Snyder’s recent actions have prompted reports of an imminent sale, according to The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala Mark Maske and Liz Clarke, that may not be completed in time to be completed by the end of the month. However, they reiterate that Snyder is expected to sell “in the coming weeks or months,” so a resolution to this saga could be on the horizon.