Trail Blazers say they’re considering meeting with city to discuss arena lease term sheet

Key Points:

• The City of Portland and the Trail Blazers remain at an impasse in arena lease negotiations, with the team yet to decide whether to attend a City Council work session on August 12 regarding a 20-year lease of the Moda Center.
• City Council President Jamie Dunphy initially believed the Blazers had rejected an invitation to discuss concerns about the draft term sheet, but later clarified he had received outdated information and the team's intentions remain unclear.
• The Blazers' new owner, Tom Dundon, demands nearly $575 million in public funding, with $365 million approved by the state legislature and $208 million expected from city and county contributions, but the team has been reluctant to disclose how these funds would be used.
• The city’s draft term sheet includes a $3 million annual payment and a labor-harmony agreement favoring union labor, but the Blazers consider the proposal a "nonstarter" and have not provided detailed feedback, frustrating city officials.
• Both sides express a desire to reach an agreement, but tensions are high, with Hankins urging less public rhetoric and more direct negotiation, while Dunphy accuses the Blazers of lacking transparency and potentially stalling negotiations intentionally.