NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has made his stance on any potential Trail Blazers relocation clear: leaving Portland would be considered a failure.
Responding to a question from The Oregonian's Bill Oram about the status of the proposed arena renovation dea, here's what Silver said Tuesday:
"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."
In terms of the on-court product, it's an exciting time for basketball in Portland. Not only did the Blazers' young core end a four-year playoff drought, but Portland also brought in a WNBA franchise in the Fire.
Unfortunately, that positive spotlight has been largely overshadowed by the arrival of the Blazers' new owner, Tom Dundon. He's kept the franchise in the news for all the wrong reasons because of controversial cost-cutting measures, setting a dangerous precedent for owners around the league who could soon follow suit now that the seal has been broken.
Worse, there's suddenly a non-zero chance this Blazers team won't even play in Portland anymore?
Will Adam Silver's backing be enough for Blazers to stay in Portland?
In all likelihood, the Blazers stay in Portland, where they have already proven they belong as a small-to-mid-market team with fans who continually punch above their weight. It's arguably even more important to the NBA landscape to keep them with expansion on the horizon to bring back the I-5 rivalry between Portland and Seattle.
Silver has made it clear he has no desire for this team to move, going so far as to call it a failure, which should be somewhat reassuring for Blazers fans.
"It is my hope and belief that the Trail Blazers can be successful in Portland, Oregon," he added. "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."
The $365 million Oregon has committed to the arena project expires at the end of this year, with a city council vote taking place in December. With their current lease set to expire after 2030, a 20-year extension would keep the Blazers in Portland all the way through 2050.
If not, well, let's hope it doesn't come to that.
For what it's worth, Blazers insider Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report has previously said he's optimistic a deal will ultimately get done. While we believe that too, it's certainly been off to a concerningly rocky start between the two sides.
Most surprisingly, as Silver pointed out, is the "temperature" of these negotiations. Given the worst-case scenario of the team moving from Portland, we'd like to start on a stronger footing.
The most concerning thing is Dundon views this as a business asset rather than an investment in a city or community he genuinely cares about. The Blazers were relatively far cheaper than the new teams coming in Vegas or Seattle. Does he really even want a deal to get done?
At least Portland has Silver on its side, though time will tell whether the commissioner's stance alone is enough.
Add us as a preferred source on Google