CHARLOTTE — Jayson Tatum is exploring helping to bring a WNBA team to St. Louis, as the fast-growing league continues to look into adding franchises. According to a report by Sportico’s Jacob Feldman, Tatum has informally agreed to invest in an ownership bid that would bring a franchise to his hometown.
“Tatum has informally agreed to invest in the team should it come to fruition and contribute behind the scenes to the group’s pitch, both to other potential big-name investors and the league itself, according to sources involved with the bid,” Feldman’s report states.
At Celtics shootaround on Friday morning, Tatum declined to share more information about his interest in seeing a WNBA team in St. Louis.
“I can’t speak on it too much right now, but there will be a time when I can, and I’ll be able to elaborate,” Tatum said.
The prospective St. Louis ownership group is co-led by billionaires Richard Chaifetz and David Hoffman, according to Sportico. Chaifetz has invested in a number of professional sports teams, while Hoffman is a real estate developer who also owns the St. Louis Blues minor league affiliate.
Why might Jayson Tatum be involved?
From a business perspective, it’s no surprise that Jayson Tatum has explored co-owning a WNBA team — he’s been involved in a variety of ventures, including launching a signature shoe with Jordan Brand, co-authoring a picture book, becoming the face of Coach, and partnering with Gatorade, Ruffles, and Subway, among a slew of other companies. It’s appeared that whenever there’s a business opportunity, Tatum and his team have helped explored it, and with the burgeoning growth of the WNBA over the past few years, the fact that Tatum has looked into partial WNBA ownership seems to line up with his track record of diverse investments.
Tatum has also maintained a close relationship with his hometown throughout his professional basketball career with the Celtics. His foundation, the Jayson Tatum Foundation, has partnered with local organizations in St. Louis since 2017, including launching a hurricane relief effort in 2017, multiple backpack drives, and numerous other charity events. He also hosts a summer JT Elite Camp in St. Louis for some of the top high school and college basketball players in the country. In August, he threw out a first pitch before a St. Louis Cardinals game.
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Owning a stake in a WNBA franchise is now a legitimate possibility for NBA players. Players are allowed to own up to 4% of a WNBA franchise, according to the latest collective bargaining agreement. Tatum, who signed the largest contract in NBA history in July, is now in the mix for such an investment.
Where else could the WNBA expand?
Last season, the WNBA included 12 twelve active teams, with three more in the works. The Golden State Valkyries are set to join next season, while Toronto and Portland will both formally enter the WNBA in 2025. That brings the total number up to 15 — and it’s believed the league will want one additional team to round things out at 16 by 2026.
A number of other cities have explored founding a WNBA team in their city, including Philadelphia, Miami, Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Denver, among others. Boston has also been floated as another potential location for a team, though the Connecticut Sun’s ownership has made clear they would not support such a bid.
In a press conference before the WNBA Finals, commissioner Cathy Engelbert said there were about 10 teams who were interested in becoming franchise No. 16.
“The good news is we have a lot of demand from many cities. I’d say 10 or so, maybe even plus at this point, because I think the more people are watching the WNBA and seeing what we’re growing here … they see the economic impact of having a WNBA team in their city, the role model in the community these players represent,” Engelbert said.
Could St. Louis really be next?
Missouri’s capitol city currently doesn’t have an NBA team — though St. Louis does have an NHL team, the Blues, and an MLB team, the Cardinals. The city hasn’t had an NBA team since 1968, but now, with Tatum’s involvement, they could be one step closer to housing a professional basketball team in a region that’s long had a scarcity of WNBA representation.
