Blazers Rumored Sale Could Impact NBA Expansion

The Portland Trail Blazers are in the process of being sold. With talks of expansion to the NBA and the Boston Celtics also recently going through an ownership change of their own, NBA expansion talks have shifted.

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At one point, expansion seemed imminent for the current 30-team league, but now that is no longer the case, partly due to the changing market for buying expansion franchises.

Just before news broke of the Blazers being up for sale, NBA commissioner Adam Silver appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio and explained that expansion talks will be further discussed with the other NBA owners in July at the league's next board meeting.

“Expansion I think over time makes sense,” Silver said. “As to precise timing, I think we still need to work on that.”

It is very likely the potential sale of the Blazers pushes back the timeline for expansion franchises to be introduced. When the Celtics were sold, they went for $6.1 billion, which is the highest an NBA franchise has ever been sold for by over $2 billion.

Given that prices are seemingly increasing for NBA franchises, the Blazers' sale will likely play a role in the price points for NBA franchises. It is highly doubtful the Blazers will be sold close to the number the Celtics were sold for, given they are one of the most storied franchises in NBA history, but the number will still affect the ballpark of what the expansion franchises go for.

Another factor at play is relocation. The NBA made a huge mistake when allowing the Seattle SuperSonics to leave Seattle, and they won't want to make that mistake with Portland and their new ownership.

Portland is significant enough of a franchise to remain in Portland with new ownership, so establishing a new ownership group that doesn't want to move the team anywhere and also establishing a nice price point for the expansion franchises seems like the current priority.

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With the Seattle SuperSonics being a huge desire from fans among the potential expansion franchises, it is important to get the process right. That starts with finalizing the selling process of the Boston Celtics and going through the process of selling the Portland Trail Blazers.

Once all of the 30 teams are situated, that is when expansion will likely occur. Hopefully, more information on potential expansion teams is released after the July meetings, but for now, it seems the Blazers will have to wait a bit longer for their neighboring-state rival to return to the league, along with another exciting expansion team to round out the league.

More Portland Trail Blazers news:

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Blazers' Potential Contract Options For Shaedon Sharpe Extension

For all the latest news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.