“Nobody takes the Blazers team out of town unless they stomp all over me in broad daylight,” said Oregon senator Ron Wyden in a recent statement to Rolling Stone. Rumors that the Portland Trail Blazers might shift to another location have been running rampant ever since the Paul G. Allen Estate announced in May that the team was up for sale. However, very few want this move. ‘Oregon Live’ described keeping the team as ‘Conventional wisdom’, while the state of Oregon even issued a resolution to prevent a shift. While the people have an ally in Adam Silver, the issues that could threaten a shift still remain.

The NBA Commissioner recently participated in a presser. During the same, he was asked by the ‘Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin about any updates since the Paul G. Allen estate announced putting the team for sale. Furthermore, he also asked if it is a priority for the league to sell the team to a group that wants to keep it in Portland for the long term. Silver, without hesitating, replied, “Yeah. Yeah, it’s the league’s preference that that team remain 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”.

At the same time, he added that “one of the factors there is, the city of Portland likely needs a new arena. So that will be part of, uh, the challenge for any new ownership group coming in. But it does certainly be our preference that team remain in Portland”.

The current lease with the Moda Center is only set to run through 2030. It could always be renewed, but the question that has been brought up after the announcement by the late owner’s estate is: Should it be renewed? After all, the arena will complete 30 years of operations in October. It continues to be the 7th oldest operational playing area used by NBA teams. While plans were announced for updating the arena’s scoreboard and video screens, it is no secret that the Moda Center continues to remain outdated in comparison to the modern arenas used by other NBA franchises.

The need for a new arena opens up additional advantages for any new owner. After all, according to the ‘Oregon Live’, Moda Center is located in a region that is reportedly “struggling with increased layoffs, falling property values, minuscule population growth and lingering reputational damage.” By shifting the team to a different city, the new owner can take advantage of a bigger and richer fan base, a better real estate area, and own the news cycle for a couple of months, just like Steve Ballmer did during the construction of the Intuit Dome for the Los Angeles Clippers.

In the end, the final decision depends on the will of the new owner. As of now, one can only speculate who that will be.

Who will become the new owner of the Portland Trail Blazers?

Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, purchased the Portland Trail Blazers back in 1988 for $70 million. Today, its valuation stands at a whopping $3-4 billion. In the 7 years since Paul Allen’s passing, the estate’s trustee, aka his sister Jody Allen, insisted that the Blazers were not for sale. She went so far as to rebuff a reported $2 billion offer from Nike co-founder Phil Knight in 2022. Now, things have changed, providing the chance for major billionaires to get on board with this investment.

Among the people speculated to make an offer for the Portland Trail Blazers is Raj Bhathal, the founder and former CEO of American swimwear company Raj Manufacturing. Bhathal was part of a consortium that purchased a majority stake in the Sacramento Kings from the Maloof family back in May 2013. Additionally, he and his family also own a stake in the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League. Bhathal was also the owner of the Orlando Thunder, a member of the World League of American Football, which remained operational only between 1991-92. With the purchase of the Portland Trail Blazers, the American business executive can return to Oregon.

Another interesting name that popped up was that of Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. Amidst reports of his interest in buying the Celtics, it became apparent that the billionaire had his eye on sports ownership, particularly in the NBA. Furthermore, with Prime Video recently acquiring the rights to broadcast NBA games, his interest in the sport has only increased. If there is one thing we know, he can afford to get the team by himself.

Amongst the other names are Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison (who has tried to buy an NBA franchise three times since 2010), and Stephen Pagliuca (who fell short of the bid to purchase the Boston Celtics). Laurene Powell-Jobs, the widow of the late Steve Jobs, owns 20% of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The group has a stake in the Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals, and Capital One Arena. After many years in Washington, she might look for a change.

Do you have any guesses for who could be the new owner of the Portland Trail Blazers? Furthermore, do you think they will keep the team in Oregon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below.