Wealthy Paul distances himself from Las Vegas ownership rumors
Over the years, the player agent Rich Paul saw his influence grow. Many believe he became one of the most influential figures in the NBA with his work at Clutch Sports, including shaking hands with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
There have even been rumors that Paul and James plan to buy an expansion team in Las Vegas once the NBA approves. Las Vegas is often mentioned as a possible destination for the league’s 31st team because of its sports market and economic viability.
Paul, however, flatly denied on his “Game Over” podcast.
“I don’t know where the truth or credit comes from. But what I will say is, to understand the importance of buying a team, first, I don’t have enough money to buy a team, I really don’t,” Paul said.
“Today, at least the last time I checked, I’m going to need a lot more zeros with what I’ve seen. No, though. But I will say when I’m thinking about buying a team, and I think you mentioned Vegas, that’s not a team I’d want to buy.”
According to Forbes, Paul, 45, has a net worth of $120 million. When his co-host, Max Kellerman, prodded him about why he didn’t envision forming a team in Sin City, Paul said he had “no preference.”
“If you’re buying a team, that’s a pretty big advantage. You want an opportunity to grow, and when I look at buying a team, and most teams, people say they’re losing money,” Paul added.
“If I owned a team, I’d be one of those owners who doesn’t shy away from paying taxes because paying taxes means you try hard to win every year.”
Currently, the average value of an NBA franchise is roughly $4 billion to $5 billion.
The NBA has been holding the Summer League in Las Vegas for several years, and experts believe it is ripe for expansion. Las Vegas already has a team in the WNBA, NFL and NHL.
Even if Paul is not interestedsurely there are other rich people willing to bet on starting a team in Las Vegas.
2026-03-02 03:20:00
