With a who’s who of billionaires — such as Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, and Laurene Powell Jobs — circling the Phoenix Suns and Mercury, a couple of new high-profile names could be in the mix to buy the teams in the wake of Robert Sarver’s very public exit.
While speaking with Charles Barkley on his podcast, Bill Simmons reported that former president Barack Obama might be involved with one of the ownership groups looking to buy the Phoenix franchises.
In response, Barkley — who had expressed no desire to buy the teams just a minute earlier — quickly changed his tone.
“If Obama called me, hell yeah I’m buying in,” he said. “I got so much love and admiration for that guy.”
Barkley also speculated that the deal could end up going through for $4 billion — though an actual price is a mystery for now.
In Forbes most recent rankings, the Suns were valued at $2.7 billion — 13th in the NBA.
![Feb 15, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team United States forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) and Team Canada forward brandon Hagel (38) fight in the first period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at the Bell Centre.](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/USATSI_25429594_168416385_lowres-e1739674194139.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
