PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - As the Trail Blazers take on the Utah Jazz Friday night, the NBA’s top boss will be watching.
Commissioner Adam Silver is in the Rose City a week after Oregon lawmakers approved a $600 million public funding package to renovate the Moda Center.
“You don’t expect a really big bill to be done in a short session, and they managed to put it together,” Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said.
The state would put up $365 million through bonds with the city of Portland and Multnomah County contributing a combined $208 million for the overhaul. The legislation, expected to get Gov. Tina Kotek’s signature, requires the blazers to sign a 20-year lease.
It is also tied to the ongoing sale of the team.
“This is a great project for Oregon because it’s all about our infrastructure,” Wyden said. “It’s about Oregon at its best.”
This is the commissioner’s first game at the area since 2018, when Lebron James made his LA Lakers debut. Officials told FOX 12 there will be some sort of “public showing”, but the specifics of his visit are still under wraps.
Wyden plans on joining the commissioner at the game. He said there are lots of details surrounding the renovation that need to be ironed out.
“The Blazers have put toward favorable statements about the bill that passed the legislature, so it’s clear we’re starting to move in the right direction,” he said. “But obviously, these things are kind of complicated.”
The Moda Center, which opened in 1995, is the oldest facility in the NBA that has never undergone major renovations.
[During a news conference](https://www.kptv.com/2025/07/19/nba-commissioner-adam-silver-comments-trail-blazers-sale-says-portland-likely-needs-new-arena/) in 2025, Commissioner Silver said, “It’s the league’s preference that that team remains in Portland. We’ve had great success in Portland over the years. I don’t have a specific update on the process, but I know it is underway, and I know there are groups that are actively engaged with the estate and have demonstrated interest in that team,” Silver said. “I’d say one of the factors there is the City of Portland likely needs a new arena, so that will be part of the challenge for any new ownership group coming in, but it will certainly be our preference that the team remain in Portland.”
While it is looking promising the team is here to stay, not everyone is convinced it is worth the investment.
“I used to be a Blazers fan,” Portlander Peter Hofmann said. “I don’t watch sports much. So, I don’t really care if they leave. It’s a lot of money anyway.”
FOX 12 reached out to the city and the Blazers for more information about what led to the commissioner’s visit and what they will discuss but have not heard back.
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