CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Michael Rubin, the e-commerce billionaire who is considering a bid for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, has lined up a deep-pocketed partner: the billionaire minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, Joseph Tsai, sources familiar with the matter told the Observer.

Two sources told the Observer that rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs is also joining Rubin’s group, and another source said the owner of the Fanatics sports merchandise retailer is looking to build a diverse group that could include Combs as well as NBA star Steph Curry.

Three sources said Rubin has no plans to move the team out of Charlotte if he is chosen as the new owner. The sources talked on condition of anonymity because of the confidential nature of the sales process.

The group hopes its high-profile minority partners appeal to the NFL and other owners who have to approve any sale, the sources said. In January, Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, urged the NFL to consider an African-American ownership group for the Panthers, saying “it is time for a change.”

Owner Jerry Richardson announced plans to put the team up for sale in December, on the day an explosive Sports Illustrated report alleging workplace sexual and racial misconduct by Richardson became public.

— The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer