The Texas Longhorns basketball team plays in one of the most world-class arenas in college sports: the Moody Center. While only seating around 10,000 for basketball games, the state-of-the-art, Matthew McConaughey-inspired venue in downtown Austin, situated on the University of Texas’ campus, is a LEED Gold Certified venue that fits the NBA’s cultural vision.
New Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon wants a new arena in the Rose City. If he can’t get it, though, rumor has it he could consider various cities across the country. That includes Nashville and Austin. Dundon, a Dallas native, reportedly may be willing to consider a move to the Lone Star State’s capital.
“Even if the cities of emeralds and sin get two teams, there are still plenty of large markets that want to get in the game. Nashville and Austin are the two most obvious. The proximity of Austin to San Antonio presents a challenge, but the easy geography and access to an exploding economy may be too much for the rest of the owners to ignore. If the door is even cracked slightly, you’d have to think the Dallas-bred Thomas Dundon would leap at the chance to get into his home state’s capital city,” The Oregonian’s Bill Oram wrote.
NBA teams don't always benefit the college teams they share buildings with, but Texas stands to benefit in a major way by getting basketball fans in the arena to market Longhorns games. Likewise, the massive Texas athletics department, mainly the NIL/rev-share spending record-breaking football team, would benefit the new NBA team.
Not only is Austin a fit for the NBA, but it'd make sense for the WNBA to consider the City of the Violet Crown as well. Austin is ready for expansion, as it's naturally been dealing with it for over a decade now.
Texas Longhorns legend Kevin Durant would be a natural Blazers target in Austin
If Austin is seriously going to be in the running for the Blazers or an expansion franchise, bringing Longhorns legend Kevin Durant back into the fold is a must. Durant is not fitting in with the Houston Rockets, with a reported burner account creating locker room friction. Why not bring him home to his alma mater?
Durant donated $3 million to the University of Texas’ basketball program, even getting part of the Denton A. Cooley Pavilion named after him. In a league where Durant is not exactly popular, having burned bridges with several teams already, he’d be a fan-favorite in Austin overnight.
Right now, there’s nothing concrete saying Portland is losing the Blazers. If they did, though, Austin would be perfect. The Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, and, especially, the San Antonio Spurs would have instant rivals, and to scratch the Nashville itch, the NBA could move the Memphis Grizzlies and keep the team within Tennessee. LeBron James saying the Grizzlies should move earlier this year feels far from random.