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Adam Silver wants the Trail Blazers to stay in Portland.
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday after the NBA’s Board of Governors meetings in New York, the NBA commissioner said it would be a “failure” if the Trail Blazers moved out of Portland.
“It is my hope and belief that the Portland Trail Blazers, or the Trail Blazers, can be successful in Portland, Oregon,” Silver said.
But Silver also admitted that the Trail Blazers, and the WNBA’s Portland Fire, who also play at the Moda Center, need a new or renovated arena in the city.
“We need a state-of-the-art arena,” Silver said. “I think, by any objective measure, the current building there is in the bottom measure of any arena in the league. And I think everyone in the community acknowledges that, not just for NBA and WNBA basketball, but for all the multi-uses of these modern arenas: concerts, conventions, graduations, you name it.”
The Trail Blazers have played in Portland since their inception in 1970. They moved into the Moda Center in 1995, but the arena has not undergone a comprehensive renovation since it was built.
Owner Tom Dundon, who purchased the team in March, wants public funding to cover the $600 million renovation costs. Last month, the Portland City Council approved $120 million in funding, which, combined with commitments from the state ($365 million) and Multnomah County ($101 million) add up to $586 million.
But the team still needs to agree on lease terms for the arena.
Silver said he understands it’s important for Dundon to find a deal with government officials that works for everyone.
“I’m offering myself and the league office to assist all parties there. But as I said, we’ve had a great track record in Portland, and no doubt in my mind it would be a failure if we weren’t able to get to a result that makes Portland basketball, NBA and WNBA, viable for the long term,” Silver said.
League Expansion
Silver said that the league gave updates about league expansion in Las Vegas and Seattle during the Board of Governors meeting.
Regarding a Las Vegas franchise, he said that there are “several groups” involved in the bidding process. He added that there are also several possible sites where the team may play, including a renovated T-Mobile Arena or a “modern entertainment palace in Las Vegas.”
“We’re at a point where there will be next round bids coming in shortly. Not final bids, but next round bids coming in. And my personal view is, it’s premature to start locking in a site,” Silver said.
Silver admitted that there was less discussion about expansion in Seattle, in part because there is already an arena that can house a team. (Climate Pledge Arena, where the Sonics used to play, is currently the home of the city’s NHL, PWHL, and WNBA teams.)
As for NBA Europe, Silver confirmed that there have been “ongoing negotiations” with the EuroLeague about the NBA acquiring a majority stake in the league. He said that while the NBA does not have to acquire EuroLeague to launch its expansion in Europe, he thinks it would be best for the two to “join forces.”
“I think we would all be better off as a united front in Europe in terms of the potential investors,” Silver said.
NBA Europe is expected to launch in the fall of 2027.
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