/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56457815/usa_today_10180511.0.jpg)
Earlier this week, Cleveland-based lawyer Fred Nance said that the Cavaliers’ future in Cleveland is in doubt after the team pulled its support from the Q transformation project. Team owner Dan Gilbert, however, says different.
In a tweet sent out Thursday, Gilbert wrote “CLE,Let’s put any silly rumors to rest: I will never move the Cleveland Cavaliers out of Cleveland. Period. And that’s unconditional. @cavs.”
CLE,Let's put any silly rumors to rest: I will never move the Cleveland Cavaliers out of Cleveland. Period. And that's unconditional.@cavs
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) August 31, 2017
This from Gilbert is firm statement. It’s not secret that the organization is unhappy with how the project turned out. Plans were put on hold after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that a public referendum on the renovations was necessary. The team had hoped to begin renovations after last season ended and make a bid to host the 2020 or 2021 NBA All-Star game. Under the plan, city would contribute $70 million and the team would also contribute $70 million. But it was never clear exactly how much the Cavs, or Gilbert, would have contributed.
The Cavs’ lease at Quicken Loans Arena runs through 2027, so it will be some time before this can become an real issue. But, in a decade Gilbert decided he wanted to move the team, this tweet will almost certainly come up.