"The NBA cannot afford for Portland to become the Seattle SuperSonics"
Following the dispute between the Trail Blazers and the municipality regarding the funding of the new arena, the option of moving to a new destination has been mentioned more than once. "Yahoo" compared the situation to that of the team that became Oklahoma in 2008. "Portland does not deserve to lose its NBA team, just as Seattle deserves to get it back."
Following disputes with the Portland municipality regarding the funding of the new arena, reports surrounding a potential move of the Trail Blazers to a new destination are increasing, with a possible move to Oklahoma or Utah even being mentioned recently—a move led by the new owner, Tom Dundon.
Kyle Irving of "Yahoo" is completely opposed to such a move. The journalist published a sharp article in which he compared the case of the Portland Trail Blazers to the Seattle SuperSonics, which became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008.
"The NBA cannot afford for the Portland Trail Blazers to become the Seattle SuperSonics—not literally and not metaphorically," he began. "There is no report that Tom Dundon has explored the possibility of moving the Blazers to Seattle, but as negotiations over the future of Portland's arena continue to deteriorate, this hypothetical scenario becomes too intriguing to ignore."
A ready arena
He explained: "The NBA bylaws allow owners to submit a request to move a club to another city, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors. Seattle already has an arena ready to host NBA games—Climate Pledge Arena opened in 2021 after a private renovation of $1.15 billion to the former home of the SuperSonics.
As part of the agreement signed in 2008 between the city of Seattle and the club that later became the Oklahoma City Thunder, the name, logos, and colors of the SuperSonics were reserved for a future NBA team in the city."
Tom Dundon's economic temptation
In addition, according to him, there is an economic temptation: "Dundon's ownership group purchased the Blazers for about $4.25 billion. Today, estimates suggest that investors wanting to establish an expansion team in Seattle would have to offer between $7 and $10 billion. These amounts illustrate how valuable an NBA team in Seattle could be."
A Blazers official has already admitted the economic consideration behind the possibility of a move: "It might be worth it to spend a billion dollars on relocation fees if the value of the club doubles. Of course you would do it."
"Portland does not deserve to lose its NBA team"
Irving moved from the practical side to the emotional side, explaining why such a move should not be allowed: "Seattle lost the SuperSonics in 2008 following a bitter dispute over the arena issue. The move ended a 41-year relationship between the city and the club and left an emotional wound that is still felt almost two decades later."
"Portland is watching a conflict that is disturbingly reminiscent of that same SuperSonics scenario, and even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has already admitted that the negotiations around the Moda Center have 'gone off the rails,' while the club's ownership and local authorities continue to clash over public funding, lease terms, and responsibility for the future of the arena."
"Seattle deserves to get its NBA team back. Portland does not deserve to lose its own in the process. The NBA cannot fix the mistake it made with Seattle by repeating it, about 280 km to the south," he concluded.
