LeBron James and Steph Curry teammate plotting $200m mega bid to rival Patrick Mahomes and bring WNBA expansion team to home town
Jayson Tatum is the latest superstar to jump on the WNBA bandwagon.
The WNBA has enjoyed unprecedented growth and popularity over the last 12 months, largely thanks to the meteoric rise of rookie phenoms Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
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The W currently features 12 teams, but three more franchises will be added in the next two years. The Golden State Valkyries will join the league in 2025 before two teams from Toronto and Portland will debut in 2026.
Competition for the 16th WNBA expansion team, expected to be added by 2028, is fierce, with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes recently linked to a bid to get Kansas City an expansion.
Now, to Sportico, LeBron James and Steph Curry's Team USA teammate Tatum has agreed to support a billionaire-backed ownership bid to help bring a WNBA expansion team to his hometown St. Louis.
The outlet reports that the prospective ownership group is being co-led by billionaires Richard Chaifetz and David Hoffman.
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Chaifetz has previously invested in the Alpine F1 team has been involved in bids for MLB, NBA, and NFL teams. Real estate developer and entrepreneur Hoffman is a Missouri native and owns a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Blues.
According to reports, the team of investors are committed to building a sustainable franchise. Their proposed home court would be the state-of-the-art Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis University, providing an excellent foundation for what could become a cornerstone of St. Louis sports culture.
Competition is expected to be intense, though.
Denver, Miami, Milwaukee and Philadelphia have all emerged as potential suitors for an expansion WNBA team, which could cost the winning ownership group $200 million.
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Reigning NBA champion Tatum certainly has the cash for it.
The Boston Celtics star recently signed a five-year deal worth up to $315 million.
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It was the largest deal in NBA history and made him the newest member of the NBA's $300 million club, following in the footsteps of Boston teammate Jaylen Brown who also recently inked a five-year deal that will pay him up to $304 million.
Tatum’s involvement in the potential bid is only made possible by a change in the latest NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The most recent NBA CBA, ratified in 2023, allows players to own up to four percent of WNBA franchises.
The likes of LeBron and Curry have reportedly shown interest in the league but are yet to make any concrete moves.
'King James' has long been linked to an NBA expansion team, potentially in Las Vegas.
The four-time NBA champion has made no secret of his desire to move into team ownership one day.
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"I would love to bring a team here at some point, that would be amazing,” James said in October 2022 after playing a preseason game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“It's the best fan base in the world and I would love to bring a team here... I want a team here Adam [Silver, NBA Commissioner], thank you.”
James, Curry, and Tatum suited up together for the USA at the Paris Olympics earlier this year.
However, head coach Steve Kerr controversially decided to bench Tatum for most of the team's gold medal run.
Tatum was fresh off his first NBA title and the Celtics' first since 2008, and many felt he was deserving of more minutes.
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That's all in the rear view mirror now as Tatum has his sights set on repeating as an NBA champion.
His 9-3 Celtics are currently second in the Eastern Conference and favorites to lift the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy at the end of the season.
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