Bill Simmons is already looking past the sale of the Trail Blazers, and the picture he painted for Portland is a bleak one.
During a recent episode, the podcast host tied Tom Dundon’s purchase of the franchise to a possible relocation scenario down the line, arguing that the price tag itself could be the clue. Dundon’s group bought the Blazers from the estate of the late Paul Allen this spring for approximately $4.25 billion, a figure that came in well below the $7 billion to $8 billion range being discussed for a potential expansion team.
“My fear for people in Portland is that he looked at what the expansion numbers would be, which everybody's saying is between seven and eight billion,” Simmons said. “And he's like, ‘Ah, I could just steal Portland for 4.25, whatever it ended up being.' And then I'll just move them somewhere else.”
Simmons said that logic raises a bigger question about the whole purchase.
Bill Simmons:
— NBABase (@TheNBABase) August 3, 2026
“My fear for people in Portland is that he [Tom Dundon] looked at what the expansion number would be — which everybody's saying is between $7 billion and $8 billion — and he's like, 'Ahh, I can just steal Portland for $4.25 billion and just move them somewhere… pic.twitter.com/CKs1HmxRw8
“I don't understand why you would buy this team if you weren't buying into the community around the team in this city,” Simmons said. “It's like somebody buying a house on a street because he likes the street, not the house.”
He has already been critical of Dundon since the sale, including the new owner’s handling of arena negotiations with the city. On this episode, he went a step further and singled out Kansas City as the market that worries him most if relocation ever becomes a real conversation.
“Kansas City can make an argument, they maybe should have a team,” Simmons said. “They'd help with conference alignment, but I wouldn't be Portland. And what's dangerous about Kansas City is they'll take any team.”
Seattle, in Simmons’ view, would be a different story. He said the city’s history with the SuperSonics would make it far less likely to embrace another franchise moving in.
“Seattle doesn't want the Trail Blazers. They have a long rivalry and a history, and they know what it's like when you lose a team,” Simmons said. “They want an expansion team.”
Simmons also pointed to Dundon’s background as another reason for skepticism. The Dallas-based owner already runs the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes out of Raleigh, and Simmons questioned why someone in that position would take on a team on the opposite coast if the goal were truly to invest in the community.
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