The Rockets are an "unusually hot commodity," and when Owner Les Alexander "finally sells the team he has owned for 24 years, it likely will go for a price unmatched in NBA history," according to Jonathan Feigen of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Sources estimated that Rockets President & CEO Tad Brown and NBA officials have "received roughly a dozen calls a day expressing interest in the team and that its eventual sales price could break" the $2B record set when Steve Ballmer bought the Clippers in '14. Sources described the Rockets as an "especially valuable sports property because of an unusual combination of attributes." Because the Rockets will be "sold by the team, rather than handled by an outside group, the top investment banks can only become involved on the buyer's end." And because each firm can "only represent one candidate, conversations have begun to determine the most viable potential candidates and forge relationships." There is "even more certainty" that the eventual buyer will be an individual "capable of purchasing the team on their own, rather than needing to put together a group." But there "could be a group involved to put a familiar face on the effort." Sources said that the Rockets' ties to the Asian market "could bring an investor from China," as Brown has "relationships with several top Chinese investors." But less clear is whether the Chinese government would "sign off on such a purchase amid a recent crackdown on overseas investments." Industry experts agree that Brown will "know relatively quickly" who can be "considered a serious candidate." Sources said that the timetable for a sale is "hard to predict with the team running the sale with nothing known to force an urgency to sell" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/26).
