When billionaire mortgage lender Mat Ishbia agreed to purchase the Suns for $4 billion Tuesday, it marked the highest sale price of an NBA franchise. The Suns’ purchase also ranks second among the highest sale prices for North American sports franchises, trailing only the NFL’s Broncos, who were sold for $4.65 billion in June.
Prior to the Suns’ purchase, the second-highest franchise sale price came from the baseball ranks, as the Mets were sold for $2.4 billion in 2020. The sale prices for professional sports franchises have skyrocketed in recent years.