Blazers Insider Predicts Insane Team Sale Price

The Portland Trail Blazers were put up for sale by owner Jody Allen after the passing of Paul Allen.

Paul was the long-time owner of the franchise, and since his passing, his family estate took over, but earlier this summer, Jody placed the team on the market for bidders to buy the organization.

The Boston Celtics sold for $6.1 billion recently, while the Los Angeles Lakers went for a staggering $10 billion. Considering the scarcity of American sports franchises up for sale, they end up commanding a big price.

Team insider Sean Highkin, in his newsletter The Rose Garden Report, gave his outlook on the sale and what the price might end up being.

"I've been digging around and heard a few names, but it's all secondhand info and speculation. The Vulcans have been keeping it close to the vest—everybody in the organization outside of Jody Allen and Bert Kolde is just as in the dark as we are, and it will stay that way until they have a sale agreement in place," Highkin wrote.

"But I will say that Bill Simmons is, weirdly, very plugged-in in the kind of rich-guy circles that involve people who buy sports teams, so I'm not surprised he's heard some things.

"As for the price tag, I've been assuming the floor is $4 billion from the beginning. I don't think an NBA team is going to go for less than that anytime soon.

Another factor influencing the value of the sale is the future location of the franchise. The Blazers are in need of an arena, which could potentially lead to a relocation, especially if new ownership see that as the future of the franchise.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the league's position on a relocation clear.

“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.”

Portland has not been to the playoffs over the past couple of seasons, but the return of Damian Lillard and the young talent on the roster could make the team a playoff fixture again.

Considering how big the sport of basketball is in Oregon, it is hard to see the Blazers leaving anytime soon.

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