The Portland Trail Blazers are going on sale, according to a report from ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania, t
As set forth by Charania, the Estate of Paul G. Allen is starting a formal sales process for the franchise. Allen & Company, along with law firm Hogan Lovells, will lead the sales process. Charania reports that the process is expected to continue into the next calendar year.
Charania also reports that all Estate proceeds from the sale are going to philanthropy, per Allen’s wishes.
In a brief statement on behalf of the Estate, it was noted that the potential sale of the Trail Blazers will not impact the Seattle Seahawks, nor the Estate’s 25% interest in the Seattle Sounders. It was also indicated that the NBA Board of Governors must ratify a final purchase agreement.
Statement from the Paul G. Allen Estate: pic.twitter.com/2ePtZ1ikuD
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) May 13, 2025
The news of the potential sale is the latest involving a North American sports franchise. The most recent sale in the NBA came earlier this year, with the Boston Celtics being sold for $6.1 billion. Bill Chisholm, the managing partner at Symphony Technology Group, agreed to purchase the historic franchise from the Grousbeck family, with the purchase price representing a new record for an American sports franchise.
The price tag for the Celtics narrowly topped what a group led by Josh Harris paid for the NFL’s Washington Commanders back in 2023. That group paid $6.05 for the NFL franchise, bringing to an end Daniel Snyder’s tumultuous run as the Washington owner.
Other recent American sports franchise sales include the sale of the Denver Broncos in 2023 for $4.65 billion, the NBA’s Phoenix Suns for $4 billion and the Milwaukee Bucks for $3.5 billion, both of which occurred in 2023, the sale of the New York Mets in 2023 for $2.4 billion, and the Brooklyn Nets back in 2019, also for $2.4 billion. Expect the Blazers’ sale to push for around $4.5 billion at minimum, and probably more.
Paul G. Allen co-founded Microsoft along with childhood friend Bill Gates.
