Tim Povtak of the Orlando Sentinel reports: Orlando Magic owner Rich DeVos said Saturday night that he plans to sell the entire National Basketball Association franchise, which would end his family's 11-year run as custodian of Central Florida's only major sports franchise.

DeVos also stopped short of making any guarantees that the team would remain in Orlando. He said that he wants -- and would expect -- the next owner to keep the team here, but he wouldn't require it as part of the sale.

DeVos and team President Bob Vander Weide, in an exclusive interview with the Orlando Sentinel before Saturday night's game at the TD Waterhouse Centre, said they expect the sale process to take anywhere from six months to 2 1/2 years.

DeVos said his decision was not affected by the inability to secure the new publicly financed arena he wanted for the Magic, but those around him have said that he had grown discouraged by the way he had been portrayed -- as the billionaire owner looking for government money -- in that battle.

DeVos wouldn't say what his asking price will be, but he bought the franchise for $85 million in 1991. The last NBA franchise to be sold, the Memphis (formerly Vancouver) Grizzlies in 2000, went for $160 million. DeVos also operates the Orlando Miracle of the Women's NBA and owns the $50 million RDV Sportsplex in Maitland, which could be included in the sale.

The biggest stumbling block in finding a buyer remains the TD Waterhouse Centre, where the Magic play. Without the moneymaking amenities of a newer building -- such as lower-level luxury suites and restaurants -- turning a profit will be difficult. The Magic said they have lost an average of $10 million annually during the past five years.

Among those expected to be interested is Pat Croce, the entrepreneur who put together the ownership group that bought the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996. Croce, who became the team president, left that group last spring and has been itching for a return to the NBA. Eddie DeBartolo, the shopping-mall magnate from Youngstown, Ohio, has been wanting a team. And Bill Laurie, who already has a new arena in St. Louis, is looking to buy into the league.