Blazers Tease "Major Announcement About Future Of Rose Garden"

The Portland Trail Blazers sent a press release Monday teasing a "major announcement" regarding the Rose Garden that will be made on Tuesday. Presumably, this will involve the unveiling of the arena's new naming rights partner.

WHAT: Portland Trail Blazers President & CEO Chris McGowan and a new corporate partner will make a major announcement about the future of the Rose Garden and Rose Quarter campus at a press conference.

WHEN: Tuesday, August 13 at 10 a.m.

McGowan confirmed that there were three finalists last week.

He also denied a recent report that indicated the Blazers had reached a naming rights deal with Moda Health.

Portland Trail Blazers team president Chris McGowan revealed that the list of potential sponsors for the arena's naming rights has been narrowed down to three companies.

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"Nothing's close, nothing's imminent. We're having good conversations about the opportunity," McGowan said. "I'll be consistent with what I said from day one, it's our goal to have a deal in place before the start of the season. I'm hopeful that we'll be able to accomplish that goal."

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A recent report stated that Moda Health had purchased the naming rights but the team denied that there was a sale.

"I don't know where the rumors came from," McGowan said.

The naming rights discussion was at the top of McGowan's agenda when he was named president and CEO of the Blazers in October. In November, he said that he hoped to have a naming rights partner in place within a year.

The Blazers partnered with Premier Partnerships back in January to pursue naming rights for the Rose Garden, one of the only NBA buildings that currently does not have a sponsor. McGowan made naming rights for the arena one of his top priorities when he assumed his position in 2012.

-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter