Josh Harris’ ownership group handed boost in Commanders sale after breakthrough in Brian Davis’ $500M lawsuit against Bank of America

The Washington Commanders got a big hurdle removed in the path of their future sale to a group led by Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris. A federal judge on Wednesday cast doubt on the Brian Davis-backed lawsuit against Bank of America over the Commanders bid.

Filed last week on Friday, the lawsuit could have prevented the Commanders sale from going through. However, Judge Deborah L. Boardman wrote an order saying that the temporary restraining order does "not clearly show that immediate and irreparable injury, loss or damage will result to the movant before the adverse party can be heard in opposition," as required by Rule 65.

Technically, it gives the green light for the sale to go through in the upcoming weeks. In the same decision, the Brian Davis-backed group acknowledges that a proposal has already been accepted - the one led by Harris. They are now expected to become the owners before the start of next season.

The lawsuit, filed by Brian Davis-owned company Urban Echo Energy LLC against Bank of America, sought $500 billion in damages over what it says was a failure to credibly communicate a $7.1 billion offer to buy the Washington Commanders from owner Dan and Tanya Snyder.

How much is the Commanders' sale worth?

The group led by Josh Harris, which includes former hooper Magic Johnson and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is set to acquire Commanders for $6.05 billion. The deal, which has been accepted by both parties, is set to be the highest-ever price paid for a sports franchise.

The deal needs approval from the NFL and has not been signed just yet. It is waiting for the approval of three-quarters of NFL franchise owners and other customary closing conditions to go through.

Harris is also the owner of the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA and the New Jersey Devils in the NHL. He's also a minority owner in the Pittsburgh Steelers and needs to sell his stake before fully purchasing the Commanders.

The sale ends more than two decades of suffering for Washington fans, who saw the franchise move downhill under Snyder's ownership. The 24 years of his tenure as owner were filled with controversies and scandals, but not much success on the field.

Snyder bought the franchise for $800 million in 1999 and will sell for $6 billion, which presents a fantastic profit. He was reportedly looking for $7 billion, but no bidders were willing to match his asking price.

Perhaps more importantly, a storied franchise such as the Commanders could see many improvements off the field, taking them back to the league's spotlight after a long time away during Snyder's ownership tenure.