With a startling £60 billion deal, Liverpool’s owners FSG are getting closer to making a significant move.

FSG has long desired to expand its collection of sporting assets with an NBA team.

A significant development in the US has brought another possible acquisition one step closer as Fenway Sports Group continues to evaluate its options regarding the addition of another football team to its portfolio.

It is no secret that the owners of Liverpool want to expand their collection of sporting assets to include an NBA team. Las Vegas is the obvious favourite, with LeBron James, a basketball legend and current Los Angeles Lakers star, and FSG partner, expected to lead the initiative.

James, together with Tom Werner, the chairman of FSG and Liverpool, and Gerry Cardinale, the founder of RedBird Capital, another partner of FSG, have previously discussed the possibility of expanding into the NBA.

Before the NBA can consider expanding from 30 to 32 teams, a number of obstacles must be overcome. First, a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) must be in place for the upcoming few years. Secondly, a new media rights deal must be negotiated because the current $26 billion deal has just 12 months left on it.

The CBA was reached last summer, and the NBA appears to have reached an agreement this past week to pay an astounding $76 billion (£59.8 billion) for the next set of rights, which will span 11 years. After that is decided upon and completed, focus will shift to expansion, for which FSG is currently making preparations.

The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, stated, “We want to figure out what our media relationships are going to look like before we turn to expansion.” Without a doubt, Vegas is on our list.

That time is almost here, and Seattle presents another viable location for an NBA expansion team. While it will take some time to establish a team on the court, the process of expanding the league could get underway before the year is out.

At first, there was talk of paying $2 billion for an NBA expansion franchise, which would then be split among the league’s 30 teams—who must first consent to the league’s expansion—for that franchise. However, the price range will probably be closer to $5 billion with a massive media deal. FSG and its partners will incur significant costs in this endeavour.

James’ desire to play a season in the NBA with his son Bronny as a way to round off his playing career is another significant development. James Jr. is projected to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft this summer, making it possible for the father and son to play basketball together before James Sr. ends his illustrious career.

Over the past two years, potential locations in Vegas have been discussed. The most recent one occurred in April when a development company called LVXP identified land on the Las Vegas Strip for an NBA arena and resort. Sin City wants to expand its sporting offerings by adding professional basketball, NFL, and NHL teams, as well as the Formula One Grand Prix.

The PGA Tour’s commercial operations were recently taken over by FSG, which established FSG International to manage its overseas sporting portfolio, which will eventually include a football team. FSG is focused on growing and expanding its portfolio of sporting assets, which is currently valued at $12 billion, of which Liverpool accounts for about $5.5 billion (£4.3 billion). Other sporting investments include the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, and NASCAR team RFK Racing.