NBA Teams Become Target for Gulf Sovereign Wealth Funds (1)

Two of the world’s richest sovereign wealth funds are interested in buying minority stakes in National Basketball Association teams, according to people familiar with the matter, in the latest example of how oil money from the Persian Gulf is pumping up values in global sports.

Executives at Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Co. and Qatar Investment Authorityhave expressed their interest in NBA ownership and are actively hunting for a possible match, said the people, who requested anonymity as the discussions are private.

Representatives for Mubadala and QIA declined to comment.

Mubadala and QIA’s interest is preliminary and there is no ...