ESPN's Shams Charania reports that the Estate of Paul G. Allen is starting the process of selling the Portland Trail Blazers. And Phil Knight is the obvious next owner.
Knight and Los Angeles Dodgers minority owner Alan Smolinisky have repeatedly attempted to buy the Trail Blazers, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting back in 2022 that they offered more than $2 billion.
One major takeaway from that piece was that they "plan to remain aggressive in acquiring the team."
Phil Knight has the money, roots, and legacy to acquire the Blazers
The Trail Blazers were estimated to be worth $2.05 billion by Forbes in 2021. That number has now skyrocketed to $3.50 billion. But that's likely not a deal breaker for the co-founder of Nike, who has an estimated net worth of $33 billion, ranking 58th in the world.
But Knight isn't just any billionaire -- he's one with ties to both the basketball world and the Portland community.
Knight was born in Portland, graduated from Oregon, and currently lives in the Hillsboro area. His impressive resume speaks for itself as someone who has played a significant role in Oregon's economy and culture, whether through Nike's success or the Knight Foundation's philanthropic work.
Charania notes that all Estate proceeds will go to philanthropy, per Allen's wishes. Perhaps they could be more inclined to sell to someone like Knight because of similar shared values in terms of philanthropy and community impact.
Knight, 87, stepped down as Nike chairman in 2016, but this could be the final thing to add to his already Hall of Fame resume. His age could be a factor, but if he attempted to buy them at 84, that suggests he's trying to build a legacy to pass on, similar to how the Allen Estate maintained ownership of the Blazers despite his passing away in 2018.
Nike is synonymous with the NBA these days, forming partnerships with the league's premier talents. And having the co-founder as one of the league's owners -- who has already made an aggresive attempt to land the team in the past -- makes too much sense.
Regardless of who the Blazers' next owner is, it seems safe to say that they'll stay in Rip City due to their relative success and loyal fanbase. But having Knight around would further solidify that, with Wojnarowski previously reporting that his presence indicates their desire to keep the franchise right where it belongs.