The Trail Blazers are currently negotiating with local government officials for a new lease to renovate the Moda Center, with the deadline set for December 31. The threat of relocation has loomed large over those discussions, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, but new owner Tom Dundon claims he’s focused on keeping the team where it is.

“We are working to keep the team in Portland,” Dundon told Vorkunov via text message. “That is the priority.”

While the Blazers have not publicly floated the possibility of relocation during their ongoing negotiations, Vorkunov hears from sources familiar with the matter that Dundon has privately broached the subject in his talks with league officials and other owners.

Vorkunov clarifies that Dundon didn’t make any formal requests to NBA officials about relocating the team, and reports that the league pushed back on the suggestion, instead telling Dundon to “focus on trying to make the Blazers work in Portland.”

Dundon denied those conversations occurred. “That is not accurate,” he said.

When Vorkunov asked if Dundon had ever talked to the league about relocation, the 55-year-old said it’s “not a conversation” because Blazers’ current lease runs through 2030.

As Vorkunov writes, the negotiations between the Blazers and local officials have appeared to be rocky at times, particularly over the summer. But the team has taken a more “accommodating tone,” in recent weeks, Vorkunov notes, with president of business operations Dewayne Hankins stating at media day that the club was “committed” to staying in Portland.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has publicly pressured both sides to reach an agreement.

“I want to be very direct about it: I would see it as a failure if we did not keep the team in Portland,” Silver said. “I’ve spent a lot of time in that community over the years. They’ve shown amazing support for the Trail Blazers. They’re some of our best fans around the league.”

The end of 2026 has technically been set as the deadline to complete a deal to remodel the arena, but Dundon doesn’t view that as a strict cutoff point. He told Vorkunov it “would be great to be done by then,” but said the two parties will continue to work to find a mutually beneficial deal in the event that the current talks fall through.

“We have four years to figure it out,” Dundon said. “So hopefully we never are in that position.“