Joshua Harris, Billionaire Philadelphia 76ers Owner To Buy New Jersey Devils?

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Joshua Harris is looking to make a deal with the Devils.

Harris, who leads the Philadelphia 76ers ownership group, is hoping to buy the NHL's New Jersey Devils, according to reports.

If the purchase goes through, Harris wouldn't lead the only group that owns an NBA and NHL team. Ted Leonsis owns the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals and the Kronke family owns the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche.

According to Forbes magazine, the Devils are worth $205 million and Harris' value sits at $2.1 billion.

Devils current owner Jeff Vanderbeek, who also owns the Prudential Center where the team plays in Newark, is reportedly looking to sell the team due to financial struggles. Harris and his group are hopeful to put a bid in for the Devils.

It will be interesting to see how Sixers fans react, considering the Devils are rivals with the Philadelphia Flyers hockey club. Harris is entering his third year as head coach with the Sixers. After making the playoffs in the first two years as owner, Harris' success plummeted last year as Philadelphia failed to make the playoffs with a 34-48 overall record, good enough for fourth place in the Atlantic Division and 9th place in the Eastern Conference.

The lack of success led to the release of head coach Doug Collins, and the search for a replacement still hasn't concluded after three months.

If Harris takes over the Devils, he'll take over another franchise in peril. Just one season after reaching the Stanley Cup finals, the Devils fell to 11th in the Eastern Conference and dead last in the Atlantic Division with a 19-19-10 record  and 48 points. The Devils also lost perennial goal scorer Ilya Kovalchuk, when he opted out of his contract and decided to play in Russia's KHL.

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