Jayson Tatum is already a superhero in Boston. After bringing the championship to the city, it’s time for Tatum to bring glory to his house in St. Louis. And if he has to go toe-to-toe with a billionaire group-backed NFL star, so be it. After all, Tatum has some backing in his corner too. The boxing match is set to happen on the bidding table where only money will talk. His opponent? Kansas City Chiefs star, Patrick Mahomes. The title on the line? A WNBA expansion team, the 16th one to be specific.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has already hinted at a 16th WNBA team likely to enter by 2028 and the bidding race for that is already heating up. After the Mahomes couple, Patrick and Brittany got involved in the proceedings, it was time for Jayson Tatum to act. According to Sportico’s Jacob Feldman, “Tatum has informally agreed to invest in the team should it come to fruition.”
Thanks to the newly implemented Collective Bargaining Agreement, NBA players can now own up to 4% of WNBA franchises. Tatum will be a part of the ownership group co-led by billionaires Richard Chaifetz and David Hoffman. They will be among a dozen expected candidates and the eventual winners might have to shell out more than $200 million for the team, Feldman believes of the bidding process.
“St. Louis is a top-tier sports market, and we believe that bringing a WNBA franchise to the region will be a defining moment in the city’s ongoing revitalization,” spokesperson Don Soffer said. In 2025, the WNBA is set to introduce the Golden State Valkyries, followed by the Toronto and Portland franchises, set to be added in 2026. Damian Lillard was loosely rumored for a potential ownership of the Portland franchise, but that theory was squashed by the guard himself. Tatum’s case is not speculation though. The Celtics star wants the WNBA to come to St. Louis, but the competition is already looking steep.
Jayson Tatum to face a challenge from Patrick Mahomes and wife, Brittany
The impending duel between Tatum and Mahomes has a few layers to it already. Remember Mahomes and his wife Brittany cheering on the Mavericks during the playoffs? The Chiefs QB was seen vocally supporting the team that went on to lose to the Celtics in the NBA Finals. While Mahomes wasn’t in the house to witness the games in the Finals series, he certainly didn’t enjoy Tatum whacking his team.
Now is the chance to get even with the NBA star by handing him the L in the bidding process. Mahomes is already a proud owner of Kansas City Current, Royals, and MLS side Sporting KC. With his enriched portfolio of sporting teams, the potential Kansas expansion team can add another feather to the 3-time NFL champ.
Tatum, who currently earns through his multiple endorsement deals and has a $315 million contract with the Celtics, will see his purse getting heftier next season when the NBA’s new TV deal kicks in. So the competition can easily go to the wire in the bidding procedure, and we might as well have some overtime to decide the final winner.
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