Tensions over the Portland Trail Blazers’ long-term future and hundreds of millions in possible renovations to their arena are raising concerns with the NBA’s top executive.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks during the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York.
Yuki Iwamura / AP
In a press conference Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver cast doubt on negotiations to renovate the Moda Center, saying talks between the Trail Blazers’ leadership group and Portland city officials have “gone off track.”
The commissioner, speaking at the Summer League in Las Vegas, said the league is focused on the deal made between the Trail Blazers and the city that was approved in March but has yet to be finalized.
Silver was responding to a question from Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report, who asked whether Portland City Council’s approval of $120 million in public subsidy would be enough to guarantee the Blazers’ long-term future in Portland. Silver didn’t directly answer the question.
“I was hoping more progress would have been made by now on that agreement, and it seems to have gone off track in various ways,” Silver said. “I have a colleague, Joe Masco, who’s day to day on it, but we’re working with both sides to ensure that the Trail Blazers can have a long-term future in Portland. But there are several open issues that still need to be resolved.”
The comment comes days after OPB reported that city councilors will be asked to vote on the terms without seeing specifics on how the money would be spent — or where that money would come from.
Billionaire Tom Dundon’s investor group bought the team from Paul Allen’s estate for $4.25 billion, with NBA approval in March. Dundon pushed for Moda Center renovations before the sale even closed.
The state has pledged $365 million in bonds, to be repaid using current and future income taxes paid by the Trail Blazers and other employers in Portland’s Rose Quarter. Multnomah County has discussed investing roughly $88 million, drawn from a combination of rental car taxes, business income tax revenue, and other funding streams, plus an additional $13 million spread over the next two decades.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has proposed the city’s contribution: about $120 million in the short term and another $285 million over 20 years to cover ongoing maintenance needs. However, the city hasn’t nailed down where that money will come from, though the Portland Clean Energy Fund and funds from the city’s business development agency, Prosper Portland, have been suggested as possible sources.
The city’s own report pegs necessary fixes at the Moda Center at $482 million over 20 years, with only $80 million tied to Blazers-specific upgrades; the Blazers say it’s $600 million.
In response to Silver’s comment, Mayor Wilson said city officials are committed to striking the best deal for Portland. He also called for more urgency from the Blazers to release details about renovations.
“We are operating on an aggressive timeline to reach a new lease, and we have been explicit with the Blazers that design information and clarity around public investment are necessary to move forward,” Mayor Wilson said in a statement. “The absence of essential details from the Blazers is slowing progress at a moment when urgency is required. We know that the NBA is committed to Portland and we look forward to working with them to ensure negotiations on a renovated Moda Center and a new long-term lease happen in good faith.”
The Trail Blazers pushed back on the mayor’s statement, calling it “not accurate” and saying the team has been in constant contact with city officials for months.
“The Trail Blazers and the City worked for several months in lockstep with the State and County in developing what became Senate Bill 1501 and a market-rate deal framework,” said Charles Boyle, the team’s director of public affairs. “Since that time, we’ve been engaged in multiple discussions of renovation elements, conceptual visions, and building walkthroughs with the mayor and other city officials.”
Boyle said the Blazers share the city’s urgency and are ready to begin formal negotiations immediately, using the framework set by SB 1501 and the $365 million already committed to the project. But he put the onus on Portland to make the next move.
“The parties must reach an agreement this year,” Boyle said. “The next step is for the city to bring a term sheet to the table.”
City Council is set to vote on a term sheet Aug. 12, with a final lease deal due by Dec. 17.
