The city plans to keep the Grizzlies. Here’s a look inside the negotiations.
The City of Memphis’ current lease with the Memphis Grizzlies expires in 2029. (The Daily Memphian file)
The City of Memphis and Memphis Grizzlies have a plan for spending $550 million on renovations to FedExForum and an understanding of a long-term agreement to keep the team in Memphis beyond the 2028-29 NBA season, according to public records and multiple people familiar with the matter.
The city and the NBA franchise have discussed a renovation-funding proposal that would minimize the amount of public money at risk if the Grizzlies left town before the end of a second long-term lease. The first lease, which the team is currently operating under, expires in 2029.
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Samuel Hardiman
Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. He began his journalism career at the Tulsa World in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he covered business and, later, K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on Elon Musk’s xAI, regional energy needs and how Memphis and Shelby County government spend taxpayer dollars.
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