The Philadelphia 76ers Are Looking At Moving Franchise To New Jersey Arena

As the Philadelphia 76ers enter their final stretch at Wells Fargo Center before its lease expires in 2031, they are exploring all available options to them for future home. Recent events have brought forth an offer from New Jersey which could change course and drastically transform NBA arena landscape.
New Jersey state officials extended a significant offer to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, which includes up to $800 million in tax credits tied to construction of a new arena and mixed use development on state owned land near Camden in Camden. ROI-NJ and the Associated Press both reported about this initiative that could eventually draw them over from Delaware River states like Philadelphia.
Molly Mita McEndy of the Philadelphia 76ers confirmed to Associated Press in an email that the team’s willingness to explore all options available as soon as possible in order to open its new home in time for 2031-32 NBA season – this means we need to examine any and every option seriously including this one.”

Today I reached out to NJ Governor Josh Shapiro regarding reports that Philadelphia 76ers received a written proposal to build an arena there; his reply and my story can be seen here: https://t.co/FcgDlGaMHo pic.twitter.com/9RKs109g5m
— John Cole (@John__Cole) September 3rd 2024.

The urgency in their search stems from ongoing challenges surrounding their proposed arena project in Philadelphia, “76 Place.” However, that project has met significant opposition both from stakeholders within Chinatown as well as regulatory requirements that make its completion unfeasible.
On August 26th, independent consultants hired by Philadelphia issued a report casting doubt upon how construction of their proposed arena might impact Chinatown. Their analysis indicated it may pose “significant potential risk to Chinatown’s core identity”, necessitating 11 pieces of legislation in order to move forward.
Analysis has created doubt over whether the 76ers will receive all necessary permits by their investment group, 76DevCo. In 2024 they must begin building.
Josh Harris and David Blitzer’s 76DevCo consortium has led funding efforts for Philadelphia project. But due to time restrictions, Philadelphia 76ers must consider alternate locations carefully when looking at projects outside their usual realm of Philadelphia.
The Sixers Have Long Been Tied To New Jersey Since 2016, With Their Offices And Practice Facility Both Being Hosted By Camden.
New Jersey offers an attractive solution, complete with incentives and financial support mechanisms of its own. Governor Phil Murphy’s office has expressed interest in working together with state legislature to issue $500 million special-purpose bonds; fees/surcharges from tickets/concessions/parking would further bolster New Jersey’s proposal and add appeal.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ connection with New Jersey is nothing new; since 2016, both its offices and practice facility have been located in Camden – not too far from Philadelphia. Furthermore, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment owns both the New Jersey Devils as well as Prudential Center Newark; all this makes its relationship all the stronger.
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The Philadelphia 76ers seek a new arena because of a desire to provide fans with an enhanced experience while reducing scheduling conflicts with Philadelphia Flyers. With Wells Fargo Center set to lose its name as early as August 2025, time is of the essence in making plans concrete before their lease runs out.