In Abu Dhabi for a pair of preseason games between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA could be on the path toward receiving further investment from Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds.

In June, the Qatar Investment Authority purchased a roughly 5% stake in the Washington Wizards’ parent company, Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The move came about seven months after the NBA decided to allow minority team investments from sovereign wealth funds. 

In the ensuing weeks, NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that those wealth funds would not be permitted to acquire full ownership of franchises. That means a company like City Football Group — which is majority-controlled by an Abu Dhabi Royal Family member and owns MLS’ NYCFC and the Premier League’s Manchester City — wouldn’t be able to buy an NBA team outright.

But this week, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum admitted that funds from Abu Dhabi or even Saudi Arabia could ultimately purchase minority stakes of NBA teams.

“We anticipate our teams will receive continued interest from institutional investors around the world,” Tatum said. The league hasn’t had any discussions about hosting games in Saudi Arabia, he added.

Minority stake sales can happen at any point but require the same league-wide approval as complete franchise purchases. Right now, a 10% stake in the Golden State Warriors — potentially worth $700 million — is reportedly up for sale.

As negotiations continue to stall, the self-imposed Dec. 31 deadline for the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to complete a deal to form a new commercial entity could be pushed back.

Recently, the PGA Tour began receiving unsolicited interest from U.S.-based investors looking to potentially join or even replace the PIF in financially backing the future pro golf landscape. 

Now, antitrust concerns and how much control will be ceded to PGA Tour players are among the biggest issues slowing talks down, according to Bloomberg. 

Under the framework agreement agreed to by the three parties involved, the commercial operations of the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and PIF-backed LIV Golf would fall under a new company, PGA Tour Enterprises. That entity would have PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan as CEO and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan as chairman.

Even if the sides reach a deal before the end of the year, logistics could make it difficult to fully reintegrate LIV golfers before 2025.

The PGA Tour has already released its 2024 FedEx Cup schedule, and LIV has reportedly nailed down the majority of its 2024 dates, many of which go head-to-head with major PGA Tour tournaments.

LIV acting COO Gary Davidson previously told Front Office Sports the league would have no problem with its golfers also playing in PGA Tour events on weeks LIV was not in action.

Fresh off adding a WNBA expansion franchise to his portfolio, Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob reiterated that he would be interested in buying the Oakland A’s — if current owner John Fisher were selling.

“We’ve over the years been obviously very interested,” Lacob said during a press conference announcing the Bay Area WNBA team that will begin playing in 2025. “You all know that I’ve said it, and if for whatever reason [Fisher] decided it wasn’t going to work, sure, we might be interested.”

With the A’s move to Las Vegas all but official, it would take a near miracle for the MLB franchise to not move and Fisher to sell the club to Lacob, who could theoretically keep it in the Bay Area. 

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred hopes that a formal vote will take place in November, amid petitions from some Las Vegas groups trying to prevent local funding for a new A’s ballpark. MLB’s relocation committee was scheduled to meet this week to discuss further details about the A’s impending move.

“You have to have someone who wants to sell something to be interested in buying it,” added Lacob, who noted he wasn’t “throwing my hat in the ring,” but rather speaking broadly about his longtime infatuation with the A’s.

Forbes most recently valued the A’s at $1.18 billion. The Warriors have a $7 billion valuation, and Lacob is investing $50 million for the new WNBA team.