Tom Dundon’s first stretch as the new Portland Trail Blazers owner is already drawing heat, and this time it has nothing to do with the court.
The latest flashpoint around the franchise comes from the ongoing fight over Moda Center renovations and a new lease for the team’s home arena. In a recent email to season ticket holders, Dundon tried to calm the noise and assure fans the Blazers aren’t going anywhere in Portland. But the message is now getting attention for another reason: it appears Dundon may not have written all of it himself.
According to longtime Blazers reporter Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report, the software Panagram flagged more than 50 percent of Dundon’s letter as AI-generated. Highkin said the structure of the note was a clear clue that artificial intelligence was involved, and he also joked that the praise for Portland itself was the biggest giveaway, since Dundon has never spoken so warmly about the city since buying the team.
The timing of the letter matters, because the Blazers do have some on-court reasons to sell hope even as the arena situation swirls. Dundon’s message pointed to the recent trade for All-Star point guard Ja Morant, who is now set to team with franchise player Damian Lillard. It also highlighted the rise of young pieces on the roster, including first-time All-Star Deni Avdija.
Portland is also entering the first season of the Micah Nori era. Nori was hired as the team’s next head coach after Tiago Splitter left for the Chicago Bulls.
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Blazers Owner Just Raised The Stakes For Portlands New Era
Tom Dundon used a message to season ticket holders to put a clear target on the Trail Blazers next chapter, framing Portlands recent progress as just the beginning. He pointed to the teams 42-win season, its return to the playoffs and a summer that brought in major names, signaling that the organization expects the current momentum to mean something bigger.
The letter also nodded to the anticipation around Damian Lillards return, giving this new era an added layer of intrigue for fans trying to gauge how quickly the Blazers can move from promising to serious contender. Dundon said the team is working to keep the Moda Center among the NBAs best venues, but he did not lay out any specific arena plans, leaving the bigger picture of what comes next open for now. [Read more 🡒]
New-Look Blazers Finally Give Fans A First Real Look
The preseason opener at Moda Center gives Portland its first live look at a roster that has been reshaped enough to feel familiar and foreign at the same time. Against the Warriors, the Trail Blazers begin a schedule that is less about the result than about learning how the pieces fit, and head coach Micah Nori has already signaled that this month will be used to test lineups while sharpening the basics, especially defensive rebounding and taking care of the ball.
The biggest draw is the new backcourt and the way it changes everything around it, with Ja Morant and Damian Lillard now part of the same Blazers picture for the first time. Portland also has other newcomers working into the rotation, so the early exhibitions should offer at least a glimpse of how the offense and defense might look once Nori settles on combinations and the team gets past the first wave of experimentation. [Read more 🡒]
Scoot Henderson Suddenly Faces A Blazers Question Fans Cant Ignore
Scoot Hendersons place in Portland has become one of the more interesting questions on the roster as the offseason approaches. The 2025-26 season showed signs of real progress, but the path to a bigger role is not exactly wide open with Damian Lillard, Ja Morant and Jrue Holiday all crowding the backcourt picture.
For the Trail Blazers, that makes Henderson more than just a young guard trying to take the next step. League chatter has already brought trade interest his way, yet Portland has made it clear it still sees him as part of its future, which only raises the stakes around how the next phase of his development gets handled. [Read more 🡒]