The Portland Trail Blazers are the only team residing in the city among the four major American professional sports. However, there is a possibility that might not be the case for long, as the franchise could be sold soon and relocation could follow soon after. According to John Canzano of the Oregonian, Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish expects the franchise to be sold following former owner Paul Allen’s death last year:
“The clear sense I’ve received from Blazers management is that this team will be put on the block at some point,” Fish said. “I’ve been told the estate will take about five to six years to be settled.
The Blazers’ lease in Portland goes through 2025, so the possibility of a new ownership group relocating the team is, at the very earliest, over a half-decade away from fruition.
With being the only big-4 pro sports team in the city comes a large group of a very passionate fanbase, making it hard to pitch the idea of a relocation to the NBA. A consistent playoff team over the last few years, the Blazers rank eighth in the NBA in home attendance this season.
“It’s a huge wildcard and it reminds us we can’t take anything for granted in the Rose Quarter,” Fish said. “We have to do everything we can to make clear to a future owner that we want the Trail Blazers to stay here. It casts a shadow over development plans in the Rose Quarter and puts a cloud over a future owner of the team.”
As the situation develops, it will be interesting to see if the Blazers, who have been under the same ownership since 1988, are moved to a new group.
