Clippers may be game for a new arena on the Westside

Move over, Los Angeles Rams. There’s a new team looking to make waves in La La Land’s real estate world.

Rumor has it that the L.A. Clippers are considering new potential sites for an arena. The team is considering a site on the Westside, ESPN reported, citing sources.

The NBA team and its owner Steve Ballmer are getting tired of their “third tenant” status at the Staples Center, where the team has operated since the 1999-2000 NBA season, ESPN’s sources said.

Because the Clippers are third to Staples Center co-tenants the Lakers and the NHL’s L.A. Kings, the team receives a smaller share of the suite and club seating profits and a lesser say in scheduling.

“We don’t own our arena, so a lot of things about fan experience — food and beverage — they’re not on our list because, frankly, we get what we get from [Anschutz Entertainment Group], who owns Staples Center,” Ballmer said at a sports tech summit two weeks ago.

If the Clippers had its own facility, the team would have the ability to maximize earning opportunities through managing business operations and revenue streams like concessions.

The team is particularly interested in the Westside and have found six potential locations in Southern California, sources told ESPN.

If the Clippers do move, however, it would only be after their lease ends in June 2024. The team signed a 10-year extension in January of 2013. Team reps could neither confirm nor deny that they are actively looking for a new location. [ESPN] — Cathaleen Chen