The Portland Trail Blazers’ future in the city has become a growing concern as negotiations over a new Moda Center lease remain unresolved, with some around the franchise fearing owner Tom Dundon could eventually explore relocation if an agreement with local government cannot be reached.
The Athletic’s Jason Quick reported Monday that Portland and the Trail Blazers remain far apart in arena lease discussions, despite efforts from the city to restart negotiations. City Council president Jamie Dunphy initially believed the team had rejected an invitation to discuss a proposed 20-year lease term sheet, though Trail Blazers president Dewayne Hankins later said the organization was still determining its plans for Thursday’s council meeting.
The uncertainty has fueled speculation that Dundon could use a failed arena agreement as leverage to consider moving the franchise, similar to the relocation process that led to the Seattle SuperSonics becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008.
Former Trail Blazers employee Brian Berger recently expressed those concerns, saying he believes Dundon could eventually push for relocation if Portland does not meet his financial expectations.
“I think he’s going to do everything in his power to move them,” Berger said. “It breaks my heart to say that because I used to work for the Trail Blazers. I live in Portland. But this seems to be Sonics 2.0.”
Berger, who worked in Portland’s communications and marketing department from 1992 to 1998, also criticized Dundon’s early cost-cutting moves, including layoffs that reportedly affected approximately 70 employees.
“He’s been a bull in a china shop so far,” Berger said. “He’s come in and just cut costs.”
The arena negotiations center around a proposed public investment package. Dundon has indicated he would agree to a new lease if the team received nearly $575 million in public funding. A state-approved plan includes $365 million in funding, but it requires Portland and Multnomah County to provide an additional $208 million toward upgrades for the 31-year-old Moda Center.
The city controls $120 million of that additional funding but has requested more details about how the Trail Blazers would use the money. The organization has resisted providing specific plans, arguing that the city should help fund an architect to develop renovation proposals.
Dunphy said the lack of communication from the team has created uncertainty about what changes the franchise wants in the agreement.
“We have no substantive information about what they want, what they don’t want or what a successful partnership with the city, county and state would look like,” Dunphy said.
Hankins pushed back against the public dispute and said the team wants to resolve the situation privately.
“I’d like to turn the rhetoric down and not have these conversations in the media,” Hankins said. “I just want to get a deal done.”
Dundon has publicly denied that the franchise was purchased with relocation plans and has said his focus is building a competitive organization in Portland. The Trail Blazers also accelerated their basketball timeline this offseason by acquiring Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies, creating a young core featuring Morant, Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan.
Portland finished the 2025-26 season 42-40 and earned the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed before losing to the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs.
