As the Portland Trail Blazers overcame an uninspiring and lethargic performance to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night, there was an absorbed spectator sitting in Section 222 at the Moda Center.
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden.
The state’s senior United States senator was in town to conduct town halls with constituents, spending Friday in McMinnville and Monmouth and parts of Saturday in Albany. Afterward, Wyden decided to catch a Blazers game, soaking in a rare opportunity to watch his beloved team before hopping on a Sunday morning flight back to Washington, D.C.
The visit came at an uneasy time for the future of the Blazers.
Not only is the NBA expected to finalize the franchise’s sale to Texas billionaire Tom Dundon and a group of investors later this spring, but the Blazers also are working on a complicated governmental funding package with the state, city of Portland and Multnomah County to secure roughly $600 million for renovations at the Moda Center.
The renovations are considered vital to the long-term viability of the franchise — and keeping it in Portland.
As Wyden roamed the arena before tipoff, shaking hands with fans, chatting with constituents and exchanging hugs with Blazers legend Buck Williams, the longtime Blazers fan said he could feel the positive energy in the local basketball scene and pledged to “help anybody who wants to keep us in town.”
“I believe that we’ve got a lot of momentum right now,” Wyden said. “We have a WNBA team right now, which I spent a tremendous amount of time on. We’ve got a new owner. We’ve got some really good young players. We’ve got a lot of momentum and we’ve got to keep it going.”
But this momentum is largely dependent on a remodel of the aging Moda Center, which will require significant public financing at a time the state is facing looming budget cuts and economic uncertainty.
Multiple local politicians, ranging from Mayor Keith Wilson to Commissioner Shannon Singleton to Gov. Tina Kotek, have voiced various levels of support to the franchise and process in recent days. Just last month, Kotek spoke with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as part of an effort to ensure the Blazers do not relocate once Dundon and his group take over.
Wyden offered his own support Saturday.
“I think that the Blazers and Moda are infrastructure,” he said. “There’s a huge economic development opportunity. For example, this is where we have concerts and stuff all summer long. I think this is a big economic force in the state and want it to be treated that way.”
Wyden has known Silver for decades and said he talks to him “regularly.” When asked whether Silver was committed to keeping the Blazers in Portland, Wyden said he didn’t want to share details of private conversations, but did note that Silver has “always had nice things to say about Oregon.”
As for Dundon, Wyden said he has spoken to the prospective Blazers owner “several times” since he reached an agreement to purchase the team from the Paul Allen Estate for $4.25 billion. The first chat came in August, leaving the senator encouraged about the franchise’s future in Portland. Subsequent talks have only bolstered Wyden’s optimism.
“I think this is what he wanted from the get-go,” Wyden said of Dundon. “He was hoping to have a team like this. You see him at the games, really enthusiastic. He’s enthusiastic over the phone.”
But some are less than enthusiastic about pouring $600 million of public money into an arena when school districts are facing budget cuts and the city continues to grapple with housing and homeless issues.
Some can’t help but wonder: Is the billionaire planning to foot any of the bill?
“You hear about something different every time,” Wyden said, when asked if private investment was being discussed. “But that’s the point of going to the table. You have negotiations, you exchange (ideas), and I think we can get there. I think that Mr. Dundon … is really excited about Oregon and we ought to build on it. Let’s talk about why this is a good investment and this is infrastructure as far as I’m concerned. Remember (there’s a) ripple all the way through Northeast Portland.”
For those who think Dundon should pay for his own arena renovation, Wyden said the risks are simply too high.
“Obviously, in terms of the negotiations, you’ve got to come up with something that’s reasonable,” Wyden said. “I get that. I just come back to the proposition that if you didn’t have this in Oregon, in terms of business investment, it would be a really unfortunate set of circumstances. We’d be hurt for a long time. It would be a showstopper if the Blazers weren’t here.”
The Blazers (25-28) didn’t put on much of a show Saturday night.
They gave Wyden a scare most of the night, sleepwalking through three quarters against the fading and shorthanded Grizzlies (20-31). But Portland awoke from its slumber just in time to win 122-115, outscoring the Grizzlies 34-19 in the fourth quarter on the back of a dominant defense that held its opponent to just six field goals on 27% shooting in the final period.
Jerami Grant scored 29 points, Donovan Clingan recorded 20 points and 19 rebounds and Caleb Love added 17 points and eight assists off the bench, erupting for 10 points and four assists in the pivotal fourth quarter.
In the end, it was enough to overcome a lackluster three quarters — and treat Wyden to a win before he flew back to Capitol Hill.