NBA Rumors: Will 76ers relocate with sale of team up in the air?

The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly going to go up for sale in the near future, which mean those pesky relocation rumors are about to start again. 

Whenever a professional sports franchise is put up for sale, we inevitably hear about relocation being a possibility with new owners coming in. This is something that happens at all levels of a franchise, as a new head coach sometimes means a new quarterback and a new general manager usually means a new head coach.

But there is no more of an unstable field than the NBA. It’s once in a blue moon that NFL, MLB or NHL franchises relocate to new cities but the NBA seems to always be in the middle of relocation rumors no matter what. With news that the Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly going to be up for sale, it seems only a matter of time before relocation becomes a topic.

You may be thinking that the 76ers have been in Philly too long to be considered for relocation — but that hasn’t saved other franchises across sports from packing up and moving on. The Baltimore Colts were an institution, but moved to Indianapolis literally overnight. The Rams and Raiders both made homes in Los Angeles, both moved on after doubt digit years of calling the area home.

Of course, the most famous example of relocation is seen with the Seattle Sonics. The franchise had been around for decades, contended for titles and was loved by the community. None of that was enough to keep the team around — and it’s something that makes everyone nervous whenever relocation is mentioned.

One thing that the 76ers have working for them that has failed teams who relocated is their stadium is still relatively new. Key Arena in Seattle was a dump and having to live in both St. Louis and Oakland were better options than playing inside L.A. Coliseum. Wells Fargo Arena in Philly has been around since 1996, and while the 20 year mark is something that might suggest an upgrade is needed, it’s not the type of dump that the NBA would use against the Sixers to get them to move.

That being said, it’s all up to who the new owners will be. Adam Silver has stated he doesn’t want to shuffle NBA franchises around the country with relocation, but if new owners want a team in Seattle, Las Vegas or perhaps Silver’s dream of London — and can secure a splash new palace to play in — it’ll be hard to say no.

What could work in favor of the 76ers staying is that basketball in the city has been around forever — and the team is full of young talent that the NBA surely would love to see bring the franchise back out of the dark depths it has tanked too.

All of this is based on the idea that the current co-owners of the 76ers will indeed sell. The team isn’t officially up for sale, but just the whisper in the wind is enough to make NBA fans wonder what lies ahead for the future of basketball in Philadepha.