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Has a professional sports team owner offered to pay $3.5 billion for a share of the Milwaukee Bucks?

By Tom Kertscher
NO

A co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks has reached an agreement to sell his share of the National Basketball Association team, but the sale isn’t final —and $3.5 billion isn't the selling price.

Here’s what we know based on news reports, given that the NBA has not approved the sale:

ESPN and The Athletic reported on Feb. 27, 2023, and other media confirmed, that Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry reached an agreement to sell his share to Jimmy Haslam and the Haslam Sports Group. The group owns the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League and the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer.

The news reports said the agreement calls for the sale under a $3.5 billion “valuation” of the Bucks. In other words, the franchise’s total value.

Lasry owns roughly 25% of the Bucks. Twenty-five percent of $3.5 billion would be $875 million.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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