In an exclusive to THE DAILY, the SportsBusiness
Journal's Bill King reports that CBA Owner Isiah Thomas is
discussing selling the league back to a group of former CBA
owners. The transaction would clear the way for him to
coach in the NBA. Thomas is scheduled to meet tomorrow in
Chicago with former CBA Commissioner and current Diamond
Sports CEO Gary Hunter and at least five former CBA owners,
Roger Larsen, Jay Frye, Greg Heineman, Bill Ilett and Jay
Leonard. Before Thomas purchased all nine CBA franchises
for about $10M in August, Larsen and Heineman owned the
Sioux Falls Skyforce, while Frye and Leonard owned the Fort
Wayne Fury. Ilett was Managing Partner of the Idaho
Stampede. Larsen confirmed that the group would meet with
Thomas tomorrow. A CBA spokesperson said that Thomas "would
not comment." Larsen told King: "The league was good to us
here and it was never our intention in the first place to
sell. So, yes, we'd be interested if there's a chance to
get back in -- under terms that make sense." King reports
that Thomas has interviewed for the Pacers coaching job,
which Larry Bird will vacate at the end of the season, and
would have to sell the CBA to accept that job, particularly
since Thomas likely will want the Pacers to include a small
ownership stake in the deal. The NBA is working on a
developmental league that it would own and operate (#13),
and several sources questioned whether Thomas turned to the
CBA exiles to get a fair market price from the NBA. One
source with CBA ties: "If he's looking for $50 million,
it'll be a fairly short conversation. But if he's
realistic, the single-entity concept makes the league an
interesting business proposition -- even without the full
participation of the NBA" (THE DAILY).
