Nevertheless, several groups interested in prying away the Blazers in a sale have made their interest known to the Paul Allen Trust and league office, sources said. Perhaps, though, no prospective group has the cache and star power in the Pacific Northwest as a Phil Knight-led bid. Knight’s deep ties to the region — with Nike and his support of his alma mater, the University of Oregon — reflect the prospective ownership group’s desire to keep the team in Portland for the long term, sources said.