Commissioner Silver Says NBA Is Not Forcing Trail Blazers Sale

Portland Trail Blazersowner Jody Allen has governed the team since the death of her brother, Paul, in October, 2018. This year will mark the five-year anniversary of his passing. The matter is not simply memorial or academic. Paul Allen’s will stipulated that the component parts of his estate, including the Trail Blazers, be sold upon his death. In the case of the NBA team, that has not yet happened.

Today Rachel Bachman of the Wall Street Journal asked NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about the league’s view of the Trail Blazers ownership and whether the league would force a sale. She tweeteda quote of his reply:

The board has not discussed compelling a sale of the team. And obviously ‘within a reasonable time’ is subject to interpretation. In the case of Paul Allen’s estate, it’s one of the largest estates in American history, and highly complex in terms of his assets. I’ve spoken directly to Jody Allen, his sister and the trustee of his estate, and they are working through those issues and in the meantime continue to operate the team in a first-class manner.

The Allen family has owned the Trail Blazers since 1988.