Report: Former Disney CEO interested in buying Phoenix Suns

A new report indicates that Bob Iger, the former CEO of The Walt Disney Company, has an interest in buying the Phoenix Suns.

Abigail Gentrup of Front Office Sports noted that the purchase price could end up being more than $2 billion if the Suns end up getting sold.

“The Suns were most recently valued at $1.8 billion by Forbes but could reportedly sell for more than $2 billion — and Iger would likely need partners in a purchase,” Gentrup wrote.

Robert Sarver is the current owner of the Suns, but is currently the subject of an NBA investigation that will look at allegations of racist comments and misogyny from Sarver.

If those allegations prove to be accurate, Sarver will presumably be pressured or even forced by the NBA to sell the team. There is a precedent for such actions by the league, which forced out former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling after he made racist comments.

While the Suns reached the 2021 NBA Finals, Sarver’s tenure as owner of the Suns has been marked by constant turnover. Since purchasing the team in 2004 for $401 million, Sarver has had nine coaches and eight general managers running the team.

Iger, who joined Disney in 2005, is still with the organization as chairman, though that tenure ends at the end of 2021.

The Suns are currently the NBA’s hottest team and have a 16-game winning streak entering their Tuesday night game against the Golden State Warriors. If the Suns manage to win that contest, the two teams would be tied for the best record in the league at 18-3.