The New Jersey 76ers? Yes, It May REALLY Happen

Well, we didn’t have this on our bingo card for 2024, but apparently, there’s a chance that the Philadelphia 76ers are moving to… Camden, New Jersey.

And it sounds like New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy and the state are courting the Sixers organization by offering them sweet perks. The team is currently embroiled in a battle with the city and its leaders.

Of course, the team will still keep their name as the Philadelphia 76ers (just like the New York Giants and New York Jets do). But they'd be calling New Jersey home.

First, though, how did we get get here?

76ers Proposed Moving to Chinatown in Philly

This all started in 2023, when the Sixers organization first publicly proposed that the team may be leaving their South Philly home inside the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers lease with the Wells Fargo Center is currently slated to end in 2031.

The Sixers proposed moving to Center City at that time — in a plan that would include a portion of what is currently known as the Fashion District mall and much of Center City. It’s estimated that the project could total more than $1.55 billion.

The suggestion of building the new arena (which would be named 76 Place) has been panned by many critics who said it would have negative effects on the local economy, traffic, and housing.

In late August, the City of Philadelphia released four reports saying that the arena would not benefit or it would have a negative impact on at least “half of the small businesses in Chinatown.”

Advocates have been speaking out and rallying against the potential move for much of 2024.

New Jersey Proposes the 76ers Move to Camden

In a kind of surprising move, New Jersey’s Governor Phil Murphy and New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) announced on Tuesday they were officially courting the Sixers and their owners to consider building a new arena outside of Philadelphia.

That arena in New Jersey would be located just over the river from Philly in Camden.

The state is proposing a “mixed-use development” site just north of the Ben Franklin Bridge. It's an area that used to house the former Riverfront State Prison.

And by courting them? We mean they’re looking at offering some serious cash to the team.

They say that they may be able to offer the team $400 million in tax credits (to support an arena and its infrastructure (parking, open space) and another to support “significant residential , retail and office development.”

Are the 76ers Taking New Jersey’s Offer Seriously?

The Sixers already have a practice facility that opened in Camden in 2016 so the two groups have worked together before.

Its sounds like it! The Sixers called the offer “thoughtful and compelling” in a statement issued to the media (including Philadelphia’s NBC 10).

“The reality is we are running out of time to reach an agreement that will allow the 76ers to open our new home in time for the 2031-32 NBA season. As a result, we must take all potential options seriously, including this one,” the team’s spokesperson Molly Mita McEndy told the media.

What’s Next for the proposed Sixers arena?

The City of Philadelphia is likely to begin the process of approving (or denying) the Sixers plans to move to Center City this fall.

It seems like those will be a key component of the decision process, of course.