Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta emerges as suitor in Commanders sale

Jeff Bezos may be out of the running to buy the Washington Commanders. However, another suitor has emerged. According to Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, the NBA’s Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has jumped in the fray for the Commanders.

Fertitta placed a bid of slightly over $5.5 billion this week. It’s believed he visited the Commanders’ facility in Ashburn, Virginia. Yet, Fertitta is not the frontrunner to buy the Commanders. Meanwhile, the sale proceedings have hit a “standstill.”

Tilman Fertitta bought the Rockets in 2017 for $2.2 billion. He is also the CEO of Fertitta Entertainment and founder of Landry’s INC. His net worth is $8.1 billion, according to Forbes.

Suitors have placed bids on the Commanders since December. Commanders current owners, Dan and Tanya Snyder, hired Bank of America Securities to facilitate a potential sale in November.

Fans of the team have clamored for Bezos to buy the team. Yet, the Amazon Founder reportedly has been barred from placing a bid on the team. Snyder’s beef with Bezos and his Washington Post is a contributing factor.

Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris appears to be the frontrunner to buy the team if the Snyders opt to sell the team. It’s unclear if Snyder will move on or decide to keep control of the Commanders.