For all the talk about the future of the Portland Trail Blazers, NBA commissioner Adam Silver gave fans something Tuesday they haven’t heard nearly enough lately: a strong statement that the league wants the team to stay in Portland.
“I would see it as a failure if we did not keep the team in Portland,” Silver said following the NBA’s Board of Governors meetings in New York. He praised Portland’s support of the franchise and called Blazers fans some of the best in the league.
That’s a pretty significant choice of words.
Silver didn’t guarantee the Blazers will stay. He acknowledged that NBA teams sometimes relocate and made it clear that Portland still has work to do on the arena situation. But calling a potential departure a “failure” sounds a lot different than the usual commissioner-speak about evaluating all options and seeing how negotiations develop.
Silver’s comments have another side, though. He also backed Blazers owner Tom Dundon’s argument that Portland needs a better arena situation, saying Moda Center ranks near the bottom of NBA facilities and that the market needs a “state-of-the-art arena.” That applies to the WNBA’s Portland Fire as well, which now shares the building with the Blazers.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Portland needs to build a brand-new arena. The city, state, county, and Blazers have been working toward a major renovation of Moda Center, which opened in 1995. In August, Portland City Council approved a non-binding term sheet laying out the framework for the renovation and a new agreement that would keep the Blazers playing in Portland for at least another 20 years.
The money involved isn’t small. Oregon has authorized up to $365 million for the project, while the proposed framework also includes contributions from Portland and Multnomah County. Those public commitments come with conditions, including reaching binding agreements by the end of 2026. The Blazers’ existing agreement currently keeps the team at Moda Center through the 2029-30 season.
That’s why Silver’s comments matter. The negotiations have become increasingly tense, and relocation has started creeping into the conversation more than anyone in Portland would like. Silver even said Tuesday that he hopes everyone involved can “lower the temperature” and work toward an agreement. He has also spent time discussing the situation with Dundon and said the league office is willing to help.
Blazers fans still have plenty of reasons to keep an eye on this. Nothing Silver said represents a binding promise, and the arena deal still needs to get across the finish line. Until the paperwork is signed, some uncertainty will remain.
But Tuesday still felt important. The NBA commissioner didn’t treat Portland like a market the league could easily leave behind. He talked about the city’s history with the Blazers, the strength of its fans and, most importantly, made it clear that losing the franchise isn’t an outcome he wants.
After months of wondering how strongly the NBA actually feels about keeping the Blazers in Portland, we finally got an answer.
Now Portland and Dundon have to figure out how to make it happen.
Be the first to comment