NEW YORK — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday he would see it as a failure if the Portland Trail Blazers left Portland, and he offered the league office’s help as owner Tom Dundon negotiates with city and state officials over the Moda Center.
Silver spoke after the NBA Board of Governors met Monday and Tuesday in New York. Dundon attended the meetings.
Adam Silver On Tom Dundon And The Trail Blazers’ Future In Portland
Silver spent significant time with Dundon in New York this week, and the owners discussed Portland in one of their committee meetings.
“Let me begin by saying that it is my hope and belief that the Portland Trail Blazers can be successful in Portland, Oregon,” Silver said. “That it is important at the same time that Tom Dundon reaches a deal with the city officials and the state elected officials that makes operating in Portland viable for the long term. So that’s what we’re focused on.”
“I understand, whether it was under David Stern or under other leagues, there are times when it becomes necessary for teams to relocate for various circumstances,” Silver continued. “So I don’t want to make that a point of pride for me, and that would, to me, be prejudging the situation. But I want to be very direct about it. I would see it as a failure if we did not keep the team in Portland. I’ve spent a lot of time in that community over the years. They’ve shown amazing support for the Trail Blazers. They’re some of our best fans around the league.”
“But at the same time, and now I speak for our WNBA team in the market as well, we need a state-of-the-art arena,” Silver added. “I think by any objective measure now, 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 community needs the same thing. These are centerpieces of not just midsize cities like Portland, but increasingly even some small arenas and communities throughout America.”
The Moda Center opened in 1995 and is owned by the city. The Trail Blazers’ current lease there runs through 2030.
The WNBA’s Portland Fire began play at the Moda Center in May. The Dallas Wings played there June 13 in a Commissioner’s Cup game.
“So it’s my hope that we can lower the temperature, honestly, a bit in these negotiations,” Silver noted. “I had an opportunity to spend some significant amount of time with Tom Dundon while he’s here in New York at our meetings. We did discuss the situation around Portland in one of our committee meetings with Tom. I think he was able to bounce ideas off other owners who’ve been through similar negotiations in other communities. I think there’s some lessons to be learned there.”
“But again, I’m offering myself and the league office to assist all parties there,” Silver detailed. “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 accomplish a result that makes Portland basketball, NBA and WNBA, viable for the long term.”
Moda Center Funding And The December Deadline
The Oregon Legislature has pledged $365 million toward renovating the Moda Center. That money is contingent on the city and Multnomah County proposals, and it goes away if the Trail Blazers do not sign a new lease by the end of the year.
On Aug. 12, the Portland City Council approved a term sheet by an 8-4 vote that dedicates up to $120 million to the renovation. The proposed lease would keep the team in Portland through 2050.
The council amended the term sheet to add more than $3 million in annual rent. The city also wants union labor for the renovation and for game-night workers. The team wants a lower ticket and parking tax and more city-funded security around the arena on game nights, according to NBC Sports.
The Trail Blazers are not among the groups contributing to the renovation. Dundon said at a meeting in Portland that he believed the team had contributed enough.
A deciding City Council vote on the lease terms is scheduled for Dec. 17.
Dundon also owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. He bought the Trail Blazers from the estate of Paul Allen.
The Trail Blazers visit the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Jan. 7 and Feb. 11.
