PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver commented on the ongoing Portland Trail Blazers franchise sale on Thursday, saying the city likely needing a new arena will be a challenge for prospective ownership groups interested in the team.
During a news conference at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Silver was asked if there were any updates on the sale, and if having a new ownership group that wants to keep the team in Portland was a priority for the league.
“It’s the league’s preference that that team remains in Portland. We’ve had great success in Portland over the years. I don’t have a specific update on the process, but I know it is underway, and I know there are groups that are actively engaged with the estate and have demonstrated interest in that team,” Silver said. “I’d say one of the factors there is the City of Portland likely needs a new arena, so that will be part of the challenge for any new ownership group coming in, but it will certainly be our preference that the team remain in Portland.”
It’s unclear who the Blazers’ prospective new owner could be after the Paul Allen estate announced the team was officially up for sale back in May.
Nike’s Phil Knight, who made a $2 billion bid on the team in 2022 that was rejected by the Allen estate, was the fan favorite to buy the team after the sale was announced.
Knight, however, released a statement saying he is no longer interested in becoming the team’s new owner.
All money from the sale is expected to go to philanthropic efforts.
So far, the City of Portland has not announced any plans to build a new arena to replace the Moda Center, which is the eighth oldest stadium in the league.
The Blazers moved to the Moda Center in 1995 after playing at Veterans Memorial Coliseum since the team’s first season in 1970.
Several NBA franchises have already announced plans for a new stadium or moved into a new stadium already over the past few years; the Los Angeles Clippers moved into the new Intuit Dome in 2024, Oklahoma City voters approved a new $900 million arena for the Thunder expected to open in 2028, and the 76ers are hoping to move into the proposed 76 Place at Market East by 2031.
Although they haven’t had an NBA team since the SuperSonics moved to become the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, Seattle city leadership has made moves over the past decade in hopes of securing an NBA expansion team bid.
A $600 million renovation project was approved for KeyArena, which formerly housed the Sonics, in 2017. KeyArena later reopened as Climate Pledge Arena in 2021, and now hosts the Seattle Krakens and Seattle Storm.
Portland is already preparing for the possibility of building a big league baseball stadium if the city is chosen for an MLB expansion team, and will soon be home to a WNBA franchise with the Portland Fire making their debut in 2026.
Whether city leaders will take on another stadium construction project for the Blazers if new ownership wants to move on from the 30-year-old Moda Center, though, remains to be seen.
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