Future of the Trailblazers

[wco81]

I didn't want to get too much into a different subject in the Paul Allen RIP thread.

So I gather Allen has no distinct heirs who'd be interested in owning and running the team so a sale seems likely?

If a new owner pays $2 billion, he'd probably look to increase revenues and sees a 23-year old arena.

He or she may try to extract concessions from the public governments to build a new arena, which would have higher ticket prices, luxury boxes for corporations, etc.

So as well as the community has supported the team, there is a risk that the new owner would move the team unless the city, county and state makes generous concessions for a new arena.

Of course payroll and luxury taxes are an issue. A new owner may not be willing to sustain a high payroll without better results, though it seems the attendance is great up there.

That could change if a new arena requires higher prices. The typical pattern is that a certain percentage of season ticket holders are priced out when new arenas are built, especially in football with demands for high PSL fees (well into 5-figures). Warriors are charging PSLs for their new arena so it may become a trend.

[Wizenheimer]

as mentioned in the other thread, there is a lease agreement between the team and the Moda Center thru 2015, and a site agreement prohibiting the team to be moved thru 2023. So, 5 years and 7 years. I'm not sure if that's considered short-term but it's certainly not long-term

as you mentioned, by the time that lease is up, the Moda Center will be 30 years old. That's nearly twice the age of the 'average' arena

so, unless it's sold at a bargain rate, I'd imagine a new owner might be reluctant to buy the Moda Center; and if the team is sold while the Moda Center is not, then there will be some significant uncertainty about the team's future. Seems almost inevitabe

[d-train]

There are many detailed questions and a lack of information. It's probably better to wait than to participate in the speculation.

[d-train]

as mentioned in the other thread, there is a lease agreement between the team and the Moda Center thru 2015, and a site agreement prohibiting the team to be moved thru 2023. So, 5 years and 7 years. I'm not sure if that's considered short-term but it's certainly not long-term

as you mentioned, by the time that lease is up, the Moda Center will be 30 years old. That's nearly twice the age of the 'average' arena

so, unless it's sold at a bargain rate, I'd imagine a new owner might be reluctant to buy the Moda Center; and if the team is sold while the Moda Center is not, then there will be some significant uncertainty about the team's future. Seems almost inevitabe

The lease is between Allen's left hand and right hand.

The so-called "site agreement" is a loan guarantee that doesn't stop Blazers from moving. The most the city could do is sue for lost parking revenue and its is unclear city even has that.

[DusterBuster]

There are many detailed questions and a lack of information. It's probably better to wait than to participate in the speculation.

Not many times I agree with d-train, but this is spot on. There's a million things we don't know right now, so you won't see me running head-first down the rabbit hole of speculation other than to say that knowing PA's love of the Blazers, I would suspect he's made every provision possible to keep the team here.

While listening to 1080 on my way home, it was reported that both the NBA and NFL were aware of his health and that there were contingency plans should something happens. So we'll let it go from there and hope for the best until more information is released.

[DusterBuster]

In addition to try and tread in facts vs speculation, the timing of Chris McGowen's promotion to CEO of Vulcan is interesting in light of the fact that Paul's health may have been in much more decline than we knew:

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2018/09/chris_mcgowan_named_ceo_of_vul.html

[Ripcity4life]

Hello all -- it has been awhile since i posted but this could turn out to be a good thing for the Blazers IF and it is a HUGE IF the right ownership group is chosen. The team has kind of grown stagnant and not sure if this was ownerships fault maybe PA health played into this to a degree. This could be why the Blazers are not as aggressive as we may want them to be in terms of trading players etc. in the past year or so.

Before i go any further i did not hear about this til 5pm when the news came on and i was floored and i am saddened by this news. Also i am not going to lie the 1st thing that came to mind was what happens to the Blazers and to a lesser degree the Hawks.

[Epicurus]

Rumor has it that Allen left the team to the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, along with $5 billion. (speculation is such fun)

[Norm2953]

as mentioned in the other thread, there is a lease agreement between the team and the Moda Center thru 2015, and a site agreement prohibiting the team to be moved thru 2023. So, 5 years and 7 years. I'm not sure if that's considered short-term but it's certainly not long-term

as you mentioned, by the time that lease is up, the Moda Center will be 30 years old. That's nearly twice the age of the 'average' arena

so, unless it's sold at a bargain rate, I'd imagine a new owner might be reluctant to buy the Moda Center; and if the team is sold while the Moda Center is not, then there will be some significant uncertainty about the team's future. Seems almost inevitabe

What are the chances our local politicians can get together with whoever buys the team on a new arena? We haven't
had a sports minded politician since Neil Goldschmidst tried to get Delta Dome built.

[Wizenheimer]

I don't see a lot of baseless speculation going on

it's been reported that Vulcan will pass to PA's sister and she wants to sell the Blazers and the Seahawks...or at least that she has no interest in being the owner, which seems kind of like the same thing

and there's substantial reasons for thinking that a prospective new owner might not be interested in buying the Moda Center, which could inject some uncertainty in the future

I will say I think it's a stretch to start worrying about the team being moved, but other than that I don't see people diving down rabbit holes

[d-train]

I don't see how the Moda Center being sold with or without the team changes the uncertainty. I think you can assume if a new owner buys both the Blazers and the Moda Center it's because they had to buy both. I don't see how it changes the possibility that the team could move if the new owner doesn't get a proper facility in Portland to play games.

I don't dismiss the possibility that Blazers will get sold to another owner as good as Paul Allen. We don't know what's going to happen.

[wco81]

Meanwhile Seattle is on the way to building or renovating a modern facility more suitable for the NBA and NHL.

There’s a lot of sentiment towards Seattle deserving of a team.

It would be brutal if the Blazers were moved to Seattle out of all places.

Portland has supported the team very well and there has to be a PNW rivalry between the two cities too, right?

[d-train]

Blazers will not leave Portland unless our political leaders assure it. Sonics didn't leave Seattle for no good reason.

[d-train]

BTW, Seattle deserves the Warriors more than Oakland.

[The Sebastian Express]

Meanwhile Seattle is on the way to building or renovating a modern facility more suitable for the NBA and NHL.

There’s a lot of sentiment towards Seattle deserving of a team.

It would be brutal if the Blazers were moved to Seattle out of all places.

Portland has supported the team very well and there has to be a PNW rivalry between the two cities too, right?

They won't move to Seattle. It'd be the most pointless thing ever. New owner buys team only to move it up the road.. pissing off all the fans in Oregon and losing that market to gain back a market that is slowly converting to watching the Blazers.

[Cactus Jack]

Meanwhile Seattle is on the way to building or renovating a modern facility more suitable for the NBA and NHL.

There’s a lot of sentiment towards Seattle deserving of a team.

It would be brutal if the Blazers were moved to Seattle out of all places.

Portland has supported the team very well and there has to be a PNW rivalry between the two cities too, right?

They won't move to Seattle. It'd be the most pointless thing ever. New owner buys team only to move it up the road.. pissing off all the fans in Oregon and losing that market to gain back a market that is slowly converting to watching the Blazers.

No.

Seattle has adopted the Warriors. We still hate our rivals down south. Sorry Portland!

The Blazers aren't moving fwiw. I'd love to be wrong (for selfish reasons). But, the Blazers belong in Portland.

[d-train]

Meanwhile Seattle is on the way to building or renovating a modern facility more suitable for the NBA and NHL.

There’s a lot of sentiment towards Seattle deserving of a team.

It would be brutal if the Blazers were moved to Seattle out of all places.

Portland has supported the team very well and there has to be a PNW rivalry between the two cities too, right?

They won't move to Seattle. It'd be the most pointless thing ever. New owner buys team only to move it up the road.. pissing off all the fans in Oregon and losing that market to gain back a market that is slowly converting to watching the Blazers.

No.

Seattle has adopted the Warriors. Sorry Portland!

The Blazers aren't moving fwiw. I'd love to be wrong (for selfish reasons). But, the Blazers belong in Portland.

Blazers will stay in Portland unless our city managers screw it up.

[Jsun947]

Hello all -- it has been awhile since i posted but this could turn out to be a good thing for the Blazers IF and it is a HUGE IF the right ownership group is chosen. The team has kind of grown stagnant and not sure if this was ownerships fault maybe PA health played into this to a degree. This could be why the Blazers are not as aggressive as we may want them to be in terms of trading players etc. in the past year or so.

Before i go any further i did not hear about this til 5pm when the news came on and i was floored and i am saddened by this news. Also i am not going to lie the 1st thing that came to mind was what happens to the Blazers and to a lesser degree the Hawks.

There is nothing about Paul Allen's death thats a "good thing" for the Blazers. There is no ifs.

[red_power]

Rough years and uncertainty are coming

[Jsun947]

I don't see a lot of baseless speculation going on

it's been reported that Vulcan will pass to PA's sister and she wants to sell the Blazers and the Seahawks...or at least that she has no interest in being the owner, which seems kind of like the same thing

and there's substantial reasons for thinking that a prospective new owner might not be interested in buying the Moda Center, which could inject some uncertainty in the future

I will say I think it's a stretch to start worrying about the team being moved, but other than that I don't see people diving down rabbit holes

I tend to agree with this.

There are really two options.

1.) Sell the stadium and the team together.
If someone buys both, and moves the team, than the stadium is worth a fraction of what it was since there is no professional sports team left to occupy it. I can't see that making any financial sense for the buyer.

2.) Sell the stadium and the team separately.
If you sell the team, and there is a serious risk of them leaving than the stadium is going to take an enormous dive in value. I can't imagine that making any financial sense for the seller.

Frankly I don't see much of an option outside of selling the team and the stadium where the owner doesn't keep it in Portland.