Trail Blazers Owner Paul Allen Thursday took to his Twitter feed to deny a report that he has listened to offers for the franchise. Allen wrote, "It is absolutely false that I have entertained offers for @pdxtrailblazers. Unnamed sources are wrong as usual. Why don’t reporters check?" (TWITTER.com, 3/29). CSNNW.com's Dwight Jaynes cited sources as saying that at least two groups have "apparently approached Allen, who briefly put the team on the market in the spring" of '06 before withdrawing it. While Allen "may be listening to offers, as he did previously, there are no guarantees he will be able to bring himself to part with the team." However, two groups have "expressed serious interest in buying the franchise, even though Trail Blazer officials have repeatedly denied the team is for sale." Trail Blazers President Larry Miller said, "I have no knowledge of any groups that have been talking to anyone down here, that’s for sure. ... In the past, when Paul was thinking about it, I was in the loop. But that went away. Could there be something going on? Maybe ... but I don't think so." Jaynes reported one of those "interested groups is said to be based" in L.A., while the other is "said to be a local group." One of the groups is "far enough along in discussions that it has scheduled a trip to the Rose Quarter to look at the team’s books and assess the arena." Neither group has "any interest in moving the team out of Portland" (CSNNW.com, 3/29).
