Sixers owner looking to purchase New York Mets?

In a report published by variety.com, it was announced that Philadelphia 76ers’ owner Josh Harris was exploring the possibility of purchasing the New York Mets. Already the part-owner of both the Sixers and the New Jersey Devils, Harris is looking to expand his network of east coast teams even further.

The Mets have been in a bit of a downward spiral ever since their World Series appearance in 2015. They haven’t won the NL East in four years, and haven’t made the playoffs in three. Despite boasting stars like Jacob DeGrom and Pete Alonso, the team lost at least $50 million last year alone (according to variety.com).

Due to these struggles, the team has obviously begun to welcome new ownership opportunities. A deal worth up to $2.6 billion was discussed with Steve Cohen last year (before falling through at the last second), and the Mets have also reportedly been in talks with former Yankee Alex Rodriguez over a potential purchase.

Josh Harris bought the Sixers for roughly $250 million back in 2011, and the organization is now worth over $2 billion. Considering his vast wealth and his “proven” track record, this is obviously a person the Mets would be intrigued in.

What does this mean for the Sixers?

In all honesty, not much. It’s not rare for billionaire sports owners to dabble into multiple organizational investments, and Harris is no exception. Despite purchasing the Devils back in 2013, the Sixers still saw immense growth over the last decade.

Where this might begin to frustrate fans is when it comes to Harris’ commitment to the 76ers specifically. Harris likely views all these sports teams as financial investments (look no further than the team’s season ticket prices), as opposed to viewing them as “sports investments” (for example, Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban is extremely involved in the team’s decisions).

Philadelphia sports fans have started airing their grievances with the ownership as of late, especially when it comes to some of their front office hirings (Brett Brown, Elton Brand). If the Philly faithful start to feel like Harris isn’t committed to winning a championship with the 76ers, those complaints will likely grow louder and louder.

On a much simpler level, Harris would get booed out of the Wells Fargo Center if he showed up in a Mets hat.