What happened
Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon met with Portland officials after a preseason game as the sides continued talks on Moda Center renovations and a new 20-year lease. The negotiations had been tense earlier this summer, but the tone now appears calmer.
Dundon told The Athletic that the team is working to stay in Portland and that keeping the club there is the priority. The deadline for a deal is the end of the year, when state renovation money would expire.
This is a front-office and arena-stability story, so it does not change tonight’s rotation, but it does affect the franchise’s long-term setup. The lease deadline could shape future operations if the sides do not finish a deal on time.
Automated brief based on the linked report. Lineup context is analysis; official starting-five labels come separately from our game data provider.
Original reporting: Owner Tom Dundon says keeping Trail Blazers in Portand 'is the priority' — NBC Sports ↗