Мода Сэнтр ордонг шинэчлэх санхүүжилтийн асуудлаас үүдэн Портлэнд Трэйл Блэйзэрс баг Портлэнд хотоос нүүх эрсдэл үүсээд байна.
Портлэнд Трэйл Блэйзэрс багийн эзэн Том Дандон энэ хавар багийг худалдаж авснаасаа хойш ажилтнуудын орон тоог цомхотгож, шинэ дасгалжуулагч Мика Норитой нэг улирлын гэрээ байгуулсан нь шүүмжлэл дагуулаад байна. Одоо тус баг Мода Сэнтр ордонг шинэчлэхэд шаардлагатай 600 сая ам.долларын санхүүжилтийг хотын захиргаанаас шаардаж байгаа юм. Хэрэв талууд тохиролцоонд хүрч чадахгүй бол баг өөр хот руу нүүх магадлалтай байна.
Портлэнд хот 2024 оны наймдугаар сард 1 ам.доллароор тус ордонг худалдан авсан бөгөөд одоогоор баг болон хотын захиргаа засвар үйлчилгээний зардлыг хувааж төлж байна. Мужийн хууль тогтоох байгууллагаас 365 сая ам.долларын бонд баталсан боловч үүнд хотын захиргаа 120 сая, Мультнома тойрог 88 сая ам.доллар гаргах нөхцөлтэй юм. Гэвч багийн зүгээс төлөвлөгөөгөө ил тод болгоогүй, санхүүгийн асуудлаар хотын захиргаатай зөвшилцөхгүй байгаа нь үл ойлголцлыг улам гүнзгийрүүлж байна.
Том Дандон хэрэв олон нийтийн хөрөнгөөр ордонг шинэчилбэл багийг 20 жилийн хугацаанд Портлэндэд үлдээхээ амласан. Гэвч хотын зөвлөл болон тойргийн комиссарууд төсвийн мөнгийг үр ашигтай зарцуулах тал дээр хатуу байр суурьтай байна. Наймдугаар сарын 6-нд Мультнома тойрог, наймдугаар сарын 12-нд Портлэнд хотын зөвлөл санхүүжилтийн асуудлаар санал хураалт явуулахаар товложээ.
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Since Tom Dundon purchased the Portland Trail Blazers this past spring, he’s generated controversy by slashing staff positions and guaranteeing only the first season of new head coach Micah Nori’s contract.
Against the backdrop of the championship success of his other franchise, the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, perhaps Blazers fans could be convinced to give Dundon the benefit of the doubt for now. But a more pressing issue looms.
Can the Trail Blazers and local government reach an agreement on funding renovations to the Moda Center and keep the team in Portland? Or will Dundon, who has been noncommittal about staying, move the team?
Senior features writer Jason Quick, who has been covering the debate on the ground in Portland, and NBA business writer Mike Vorkunov break down the controversy and key next steps.
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What is the dispute about?
Who pays for renovations to the Moda Center, a 31-year-old arena on the east bank of the Willamette River, which runs through the middle of downtown Portland.
In August 2024, the city of Portland bought the arena for $1 (yes, $1) from the Paul Allen Estate. Allen bought the team in 1988 and built the Moda Center in 1995 with his own money. After his death in 2018, control of the team was passed to his estate, which was run by his sister, Jody. All proceeds from the sale of the Blazers went to charity. The city also paid the estate $7.13 million for the land underneath the arena.
Jody Allen and the team were unable to negotiate a long-term lease before the former lease expired in 2025. Thus, the sides signed a five-year bridge-lease in August of 2024 that keeps the Blazers in Portland through October of 2030. The team also holds an option to extend the bridge lease another five years into 2035.
What do the Blazers want?
The Blazers are seeking $600 million in public funds to upgrade the arena, which is the oldest NBA arena that hasn’t been renovated. Since the city bought the arena, the team and the city have been splitting the maintenance bills, which range from $8 million to $10 million annually.
In March, the Blazers secured $365 million in funding from the Oregon state legislature, but those bonds are contingent upon the city ($120 million) and Multnomah County ($88 million) also voting to contribute. If the city and/or county does not agree to release funding, the state’s money goes away.
What’s at stake?
The Blazers signing a 20-year lease to play in the Moda Center and cement its commitment to Portland. Dundon said he will commit 20 years to the city if the public funds renovations to the arena. The current lease ends Oct. 11, 2030.
What is the crux of the disagreement?
Before the city votes to give the Blazers $120 million, the 12-person city council has asked the Blazers to show how they will spend the money. The Blazers have been absent from the bargaining table and have yet to disclose plans, renderings or detailed project specifics to the council or city administrators.
Meanwhile, the five county commissioners are trying to appease union and voter concerns that the funding would take away from more critical and pressing county services. The county has proposed using a tax on rental cars to help cover the $88 million the county would fund.
Why are the Blazers reluctant to engage with the city?
Essentially, they feel like the city has already been briefed and informed of their plans and they don’t see a need to divulge more information. The Blazers felt like they had a handshake agreement with city officials, in particular with mayor Keith Wilson, to pass the funding in March.
Also, during a June city council meeting, councilor Steve Novick threatened to sue the team for not living up to its end on keeping the arena maintained in “a first-class manner.”
Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon has focused on cutting expenses since purchasing the team in the spring. (Photo by Jaylynn Nash / Getty Images)
Are the Blazers expecting a free ride?
Yes and no. The Blazers argue they have been carrying all the weight in arena maintenance, citing the city taking a 6 percent tax from every Blazers ticket sold, as well as most of the parking revenue. In the 2024 bridge-lease agreement, the city agreed to direct the revenue from the ticket tax directly back to Moda Center maintenance, instead of to other city sports complexes such as Providence Park and Memorial Coliseum.
This year, the ticket tax funneled $4 million back into Moda, which helped offset the team’s $10 million scoreboard upgrade last summer. The team argues that over the years it has been paying huge bills for the arena, including a $20 million bowl-seating upgrade and $4 million for a new roof.
But Dundon has made it clear that he does not expect to contribute financially to the renovation plan. “It feels like we’re making a pretty big investment by staying here and paying these tax rates,” Dundon said last month at an event for Portland’s civic and business leaders.
What is the framework of the proposed deal?
On July 16, the city delivered to the Blazers the first-draft of its lease term list. The most notable terms have the city asking the Blazers to pay an annual $3 million fee (escalating by 5 percent annually) to help offset property taxes, and requiring the team to use union labor on everything from construction work to employees who work the concessions.
A Blazers source called the term sheet a “non-starter.”
What would the process look like if the Blazers did want to move?
The NBA has a procedure in place if a team wants to leave its city, outlined in the league’s constitution. The Blazers would have to put in an application to the league (and pay a $250,000 fee) by March 1 the season before they want to move. NBA commissioner Adam Silver would then appoint a relocation committee of at least five team governors, which would have 120 days to review the relocation application and deliver a recommendation to approve or deny it. The NBA’s constitution spells out nine factors for the committee to consider, but most importantly, they need to think about if the current city supports the team (which includes the arena situation), if the new city could support them and how the relocation would impact the league.
Owners would then need to approve the move by a majority vote, not the three-quarters approval the league needs for many other important issues in front of the board of governors. The league can impose that the Blazers indemnify the league and agree to pay a relocation fee.
There is a precedent for the committee, and league owners, to block a relocation. It happened in 2013 when a Seattle-based group tried to buy the Sacramento Kings and move them up to the Northwest.
Where could the Blazers go if they decide to leave?
If the NBA goes to Las Vegas or Seattle, it will be through expansion. The league is exploring that right now, and it wouldn’t pass up $6-10 billion in expansion fees. So where else could the Blazers go?
Raleigh comes to mind. Dundon’s Hurricanes play there and their arena did just get renovated. Raleigh is roughly the same size media market as Portland, but the Hornets play 150 miles away. Austin — about 200 miles from Dallas, where Dundon lives — could make sense but the San Antonio Spurs are trying to expand their market to capture the city. Would the Memphis Grizzlies consent to Nashville accepting a new team?
Kansas City has an arena and is waiting with open arms, but would the NBA want the Blazers moving to a city that is outside the top-30 as a media market and by metro population? Tampa is the largest media market in the U.S. without an NBA team (No. 11), then Seattle (13), then Raleigh (22) and St. Louis (24).
The case might just come down to which city is willing to offer the best sweetheart deal for an arena and a slew of tax incentives for the Blazers to come.
What’s next?
City council president Jamie Dunphy invited the Blazers to join the city council Thursday for a three-hour work session to go over their concerns and desires for the term sheet. The Blazers said they are considering attending, but have not given a definitive yes or no.
Key dates
Multnomah County commissioners will vote Aug. 6 on whether to award $88 million in funding. The Portland city council is scheduled to vote on the funding for the $120 million on Aug. 12. The council must have a majority, and if they end in a 6-6 deadlock, Mayor Wilson will vote to break the tie.
