N/P sorta: Mark Cuban is pushing to buy the Mavs back

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Also been reported Dumont might move team to Vegas

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Relocation is not favored these days…

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Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek “spoke with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver last week” as part of her “full-court press to ensure the Trail Blazers do not relocate from Portland under new ownership,” according to Oram & Fuentes of the Portland OREGONIAN. Kotek’s spokesperson Elisabeth Shepard said, “That was an opportunity for her to reinforce her support for a deal to keep the Blazers in Portland for the long term directly to the commissioner.” The call on the afternoon of Jan. 30 came amid “a tense moment for the future of the Trail Blazers.” The franchise has worked with the state, city of Portland and Multnomah County to “orchestrate a complicated multi-governmental funding package” that would “generate roughly” $600M toward Moda Center renovations that are “seen as critical to keeping the Trail Blazers in Portland.” Oram & Fuentes wrote if the package is going to move forward, it “may have to be without a key piece of the initial funding proposal.” The Trail Blazers and Multnomah County are “at odds over upwards of” $40M in business tax revenue that will be paid to the county from the sale. Behind the scenes, the Blazers have “argued that the county should stack that tax revenue on top of its original” $75M pledge. Rather than moving the goalposts, team officials have argued that it “would simply maintain the spirit of the initial agreement when it was believed to be state money.” The Trail Blazers had “hoped to have the funding from local governments buttoned up before introducing its bill in the Legislature,” but the team “may not have that luxury.” On Friday, the Legislature “concluded the first week of its 35-day short session” that runs through March 8 (Portland OREGONIAN, 2/6).

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