Legendary NBA duo, USMNT star in talks to buy minority stake in Bills

Former NBA superstars Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady are potentially teaming with former USMNT striker Jozy Altidore to buy a stake in the Buffalo Bills.

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A trio of Toronto sports icons are (potentially) coming together to purchase a minority stake in an NFL franchise located just across the pond.

Sportico reported Tuesday afternoon that former NBA superstars Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, in conjunction with long-time United States Men’s National Team striker Jozy Altidore, are in early talks to purchase a small share of the Buffalo Bills. Reporters Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams stressed in their report that nothing is finalized and that the investment may not ultimately materialize.

“Earlier this year, the Pegula family retained Allen & Company to explore the potential sale of a non-controlling, minority interest in the Bills,” the Bills organization said in a responding statement, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “Since then, there has been a significant amount of interest, and our focus has been on finding the right partners for our organization. The process is on-going, and any potential investor cannot be confirmed or finalized until it is approved by the NFL.”

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Carter, McGrady, and Altidore do not seem to have any direct connection to Buffalo aside from attending the team’s Monday Night Football clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this season. They instead are more commonly associated with Toronto, a Canadian metropolis located roughly 100 miles up the QEW; a first-round pick of the Toronto Raptors in 1998, Carter helped popularize the sport of basketball in Canada as he became an NBA superstar, ultimately constructing a fruitful 22-year career. He briefly played with McGrady, his cousin, in Toronto before McGrady would go on to find immense success in Orlando and Houston.

Unlike Carter and McGrady, Altidore found his sports success in soccer, scoring 42 goals for the USMNT in 115 caps. He appeared in 139 games for MLS side Toronto FC from 2015–2021, scoring 62 goals.

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Their shared association with Toronto would traditionally give Buffalo fans pause, as the nearby metropolitan area of over six million people has long been nationally viewed as the Bills’ white whale. The organization, however, is in the midst of constructing a multi-billion dollar modern football palace in Orchard Park, signing a 30-year lease as part of the agreement; this puts any relocation fears on hold for at least a few decades.

The Athletic reported in mid-April that the Bills were open to selling as much as 25% of the franchise, with COO Pete Guelli telling The Buffalo News in June that outside interest had been high. Only time will tell if this legendary Toronto trio is ultimately the group to purchase the available stake.

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