When the Portland Trail Blazers were sold to a group led by Tom Dundon for $4.25 billion in March, there were expectations that Oregon’s only major pro sports team would achieve the success experienced by Dundon’s Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL. Instead, it appears that Portland’s franchise is poised to be the cheapest in the NBA.
Dundon, whose wealth is largely built from working in subprime auto loans where he has been investigated for predatory lending practices in several states, told The Athletic’s Jason Quick that he “can’t afford to lose” and talked about his desire to raise “standards” and a “commitment to excellence.”
- Tom Dundon Net Worth: $1.5 billion
Unfortunately for the fan base, several disturbing examples have already emerged that show just how cheaply Tom Dundon is operating just weeks after starting the job.
Blazers keep two-way players at home for road playoff games
It is standard practice in the NBA for teams making the playoffs to bring their two-way players with them for road postseason games. However, according to Sean Heikin of the Rose Garden Report, when the first round of the NBA playoffs began this weekend, the Trail Blazers were the only team that did not bring their two-way players with them. While organizations are aware that these two-way players may not see the court in playoff games, this is done because they are part of the team and it is a way to honor their contributions during the regular season. Dundon clearly sees this as an opportunity to cut costs, even if it only saves a few thousand dollars.
This is especially worrisome because Portland can’t end its playoff drought without two-way guard Caleb Love this season. The 24-year-old averaged 10.4 PPG in 49 contests this season, playing significant minutes when the Trail Blazers’ rotation was decimated by injuries. Love scored more than 20 points in eight games this season, as Portland posted a 6-2 record in those contests, including narrow wins over the Golden State Warriors (127-123) and Dallas Mavericks (125-122). Without Love, the team probably would have lost many more games and been in much worse shape. To do this to an undrafted free agent who became a fan-favorite and well-liked in the locker room is a terrible message for Dundon to send to the entire organization in just a few weeks on the job. It’s also a reflection of how he would treat someone who isn’t a star player, as we’ve seen with his other cost-cutting measures.
Tom Dundon low-balling Trail Blazers coaching search
Just days into the Tom Dundon era, cost-cutting efforts are being seen everywhere within the Trail Blazers organization. Of concern from a purely basketball perspective is his willingness to pinch pennies even if it has a negative impact on the court, which is already being seen ahead of the Trail Blazers coaching search. Jake Fisher of The Stein Line reported this weekend that Dundon “doesn’t want to be paid more than $1.5 million annually.”
This is going to be a big issue, as it is considered to be well below the standard salary even for first-year NBA head coaches. In fact, according to Fisher, a salary of $1 to $1.5 million is typically the price range for a top assistant coach in the NBA. If Dundon is barely willing to pay over $1 million for his head coach, there’s a very good chance the entire Trail Blazers coaching staff will be among the lowest paid in the NBA. Portland will not be able to attract quality head-coaching or assistant coaching candidates from the NBA or collegiate level (higher salaries). Even if the team gets lucky and gets a deal, another NBA team will easily be able to pass on Dundon for the same coach after he proves himself. Dundon is unnecessarily putting his team at a huge disadvantage and hurting the on-court product.
No T-shirt giveaway for Trail Blazers home playoff games
The Trail Blazers are hosting their first playoff game in five years, which is an opportunity for Portland’s passionate fan base to show their support for an exciting and young team that has exceeded expectations. However, once again Dundon sees an opportunity to cut costs. Speaking to reporters last week, team president Dwayne Hankins announced that fans will not have any playoff T-shirts to wear for Games 3 or 4 at Moda Center. If fans want to wear their team’s colors to create something more of a home-court feel, they’ll have to spend more money than ever on tickets, parking and food.
Require city, state to cover stadium renovation costs
In his interview with Jason Quick of The Athletic in early April, Dundon was asked about the Trail Blazers’ future in Portland. Even on his first day on the job, he was not committed to keeping the team in the city, nor was he committed to investing any of his own money in renovating the arena. Instead, he believes the cost of updating the Moda Center should be borne by the state and city at a cost of $600 million. In return, Dundon is “committed to being here for a long time (20 years).” Keep in mind, a 20-year commitment to stay in the city is the minimum standard for a pro franchise that covers a significant portion of the stadium renovation costs. When Quick mentioned that other owners had committed more years and invested their own money in upgrading the stadium, Dundon responded, “In Portland?” Therefore, the most expensive aspects of maintaining the team may be covered by taxes, and he may not be able to commit to remaining with the team after 20 years.
Trail Blazers are cutting costs with hotel stays
A few weeks after starting the job as owner of the Trail Blazers, Dundon made a quick change to save himself a few thousand dollars. As Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reports, multiple sources have confirmed that a group of Trail Blazers staff members were hanging out in the lobby of their Phoenix-area hotel unusually early in the morning one day. Why? Because they were told that they would have to check out of their hotel rooms at noon, a few hours before the first bus left for the grounds. This was all so that Dundon’s franchisees did not have to bear the cost of late checkout at the hotel.
Portland’s appearance in the NBA Play-In Tournament ended their five-year playoff drought, something that every other NBA franchise would love to capture. That’s not happening with the Dundon Trail Blazers. As reported by Bill Oram of The Oregonian/OregonLive, the Trail Blazers have significantly reduced the number of people in the traveling party for the playoff game against the Phoenix Suns. Those who had to stay home, or otherwise pay travel expenses themselves, included the team’s digital reporters and award-winning photographers. Dundon also opted not to send a scout to the first-round series versus the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. the Denver Nuggets, which Portland would face if it advanced to the next round of the playoffs.
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