Detroit Sports City

The NBA’s Detroit Pistons didn’t have to search far and wide for a new owner as it appears a fellow Motor City native has stepped up to keep the team in town.

Mike Ilitch, already a sports and pizza mogul with his Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers and Little Caesars franchises, recently expressed interest in purchasing the Pistons as well.

A deal could make him the only sole owner of three top-tier sports franchises in the country. And if the Pistons included Palace Sports & Entertainment, which controls the Palace of Auburn Hills, DTE Energy Music Theatre and Meadow Brook Music Festival in the sale, Ilitch could also become a dominant force in regional entertainment.

While sources told the Detroit News the Pistons and Ilitch Holdings are in exclusive negotiations that have included talks of a new downtown arena for the Pistons and the Red Wings, a representative for Ilitch couldn’t confirm the news, citing a nondisclosure agreement.

Still, the potential deal seems to have found plenty of fans in the city.

“We continue to be excited about the possibility of the Detroit Pistons returning to Detroit, which is nationally recognized as a destination for professional sports,” a spokeswoman for Detroit Mayor (and former Piston) Dave Bing told the News. “The deal is not done, but we remain optimistic.”