To the surprise of many, the Philadelphia 76ers said that they were “seriously” considering an offer made to them for them to move to Camden, New Jersey. Currently, the Sixers are in Philadelphia and have been trying to get their own stadium built. However, their requests have been left out to dry by the city government in Philadelphia.
Earlier this week, the Sixers released a statement saying that they are “seriously” considering an offer made to them by New Jersey’s local government. The Sixers have been trying to get approval to build their own stadium in Philadelphia, however, the city has yet to make a response to this offer. Nevertheless, the city did say that sometime this fall they would come to a conclusion on the matter.
For some important context, the Sixers currently have a lease with the Wells Fargo stadium- however, that lease ends in 2031. The team is in a rush to try and get a stadium built by that time, which explains their wording about NJ’s offer. Additionally, the organization already has a practice facility and a set of offices in NJ, so a full movement of the team seems more plausible with that in mind. NJ’s plan for the new stadium is to build it on the site of a former prison, Riverfront State Prison. Additionally, the state has offered the organization a $400 million bonus if they were to move locations.
State officials believe that the move could become the “anchor” for numerous construction projects in the area. However, many locals have expressed concerns with a potential move and a new stadium. Many believe that traffic would become worse, street parking would shrink, and it would be harder to hold local festivals and events.
However, with all of this in mind, it’s still unclear as to whether the Sixers will actually move locations. If the Philadelphia city council denies the Sixers’ proposition for building a stadium in the city, it can be assumed that the team would move to NJ or perhaps even a different city if the offer comes and is good enough. If the Sixers were to move to NJ, they would be joining the New York Red Bulls, New York Giants, and the New York Jets as sports teams that represent one city while being based in another.
