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Every other year, we see an NBA franchise advocating for a new arena. Sometimes, those talks go smoothly and without a hiccup. Other times, though, things can get nasty real quick — depending on how much the franchise and city are willing to pay for the project.
The Oklahoma City Thunder recently went through their version of that awkward conversation. Little drama surrounded their talks. The city happily forked over most of the cost for an NBA arena that is set to open by the 2028-29 season. In return, the near-billion-dollar infrastructure ensured a 25-year lease that keeps the franchise there through at least 2050.
With the Portland Trail Blazers at the batter's box, things aren't going so stress-free. We're seeing new owner Tom Dundon really rock the boat just one year into his tenure. Whether it's cutting back on staff, moving on from Tiago Splitter after their first playoff trip in years or giving Micah Nori an unprecedented one-year guarantee deal as a head coach.
Now, whispers of the Trail Blazers relocating have grown over time. To the point that Portland is in serious jeopardy of losing its NBA franchise. All that stems from a disagreement over their NBA home. The city wants them to sign a 20-year lease that promises renovations and upgrades for the Moda Center.
Meanwhile, Dundon and the rest of the Trail Blazers' new bosses likely hope for a brand-new NBA arena straight up. And for a likely sweetheart deal, too — where Portland pays for most of the cost itself. Portland's NBA lease at the Moda Center expires in 2030. So time is ticking away. Something ideally needs to be agreed upon before the calendar year ends.
There's a lot of nuance involved in these topics. Glossing over a lot of the minutiae details in this specific example that only Portland residents truly understand. Both sides — the NBA team and city officials — point fingers at each other and lay out the cases for why they're in the right. Each market is different, too. Just because OKC was willing to pay for a $900 million new arena doesn't mean other NBA markets, like Portland, will do the same.
From what The Athletic recently reported on Portland's arena saga that has slowly gained steam as a national story, the Trail Blazers are looking at the Thunder as a recent example they're trying to copy. Which means if you're Portland, it likely needs to pay for a new arena itself or risk losing the team for good.
"A Blazers source said the team has been examining other recent arena deals in Oklahoma City and Utah," The Athletic wrote. "And may start looking for a new deal in Portland — which might even include asking for a new arena in Portland."
Remains to be seen if that's where talks eventually go. Right now, the Trail Blazers and Portland are trying to figure out if they can agree to stay at the Moda Center and fund upgrades. The arena opened in 1995 and is one of the older NBA homes. But if both sides are too far apart, things could quickly pivot into the danger zone.
Ask Seattle how that turned out for them. Getting into a fight with your new out-of-state NBA owner over arena funding is surely bringing up skin-crawling flashbacks for Oregon's neighbors up north. As it hopes to resurrect the Seattle Supersonics in the near future.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: How OKC Thunder could indirectly cause Trail Blazers to relocate
