Tom Dundon’s visibility in Portland has been under a microscope since his ownership group bought the Trail Blazers in March. On Monday, he finally showed up for a set of meetings that put him face-to-face with the people most tied to the team’s future.
Dundon met with legislative leaders and key members of Portland’s business community before the Trail Blazers’ preseason game against the London Lions, then took a courtside seat for Portland’s 119-66 win. It was his first public appearance in the city since a Portland Metro Chamber event in June, and it gave some of the region’s most influential figures a chance to speak with the often-absent owner.
Sources told The Oregonian/OregonLive that among the people Dundon met with were two Democratic legislative leaders from the metro area, Sen. Kate Lieber and Rep.
Ben Bowman. He also met with business leaders, including auto magnate Jeff Swickard, whose recent downtown Portland investments include the purchase of U.S.
Bancorp Tower, better known as “Big Pink.”
Reached by phone Monday, Lieber confirmed the meeting but declined to provide further comment. Swickard did not immediately respond to a text message.
The timing matters. Monday’s gathering was viewed as a preview for more substantive conversations next week, when Dundon returns to town for the Trail Blazers’ opener on Oct. 21 against the Phoenix Suns.
At the center of the discussion is the future of Moda Center. As negotiations continue over nearly $600 million in public funding for renovations, Dundon and team officials have emphasized the need for a stronger business climate while also voicing concerns about Oregon’s tax structure and the team’s ability to turn a profit.
One team source said Dundon, who met with Portland City Administrator Raymond Lee last month in Dallas, “has had good conversations with local and state leaders as we continue to work to reach an agreement that works for everyone. He also has been talking with leaders from the business community about revitalizing Portland’s economy.”
What Monday’s conversations mean for the final shape of the deal is still unclear. The meeting appeared to focus more on broader issues that could help the Trail Blazers succeed in Portland than on the mechanics of the funding package or lease itself.
State, city and Multnomah County officials have already approved plans to help pay for the project, with the state carrying the largest share: $365 million in bonding backed largely by taxes paid by Trail Blazers players. That money only becomes available if the team agrees to a long-term lease keeping the Blazers at Moda Center, and state leaders have said a deal has to be reached by the end of the year to secure the bonds.
The team’s current lease at the city-owned arena runs through 2030. Last month, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described the building, which opened in 1995, as “by any objective measure … in the bottom measure of any arena in the league.”
The uncertainty around the arena and lease situation has fueled concern that Dundon, who has cut costs since buying the team from Paul Allen’s estate, could eventually look at moving the franchise that has been in Portland since 1970.
In Other News...
Micah Nori Is Already Setting A Different Tone In Portland
Micah Nori is bringing a fresh approach to the Trail Blazers as he prepares for his first NBA head coaching job, and part of that reset has already shown up in how he wants the team to communicate. Portland enters the upcoming season with a new voice on the sideline, and Nori, who spent years as an assistant around the league, appears intent on making sure his message lands cleanly from the start.
Rather than letting instructions pile up over the grind of a long season, Nori has made a point of stressing brevity and clarity with his staff. The idea is to keep everyone on the same page without overwhelming the room, a small but revealing detail about how he plans to lead a team that will be learning a new coach at the same time the coach is learning the job. [Read more 🡒]
Scoot Henderson Is Making Portland's Extension Decision Much Tougher
Joe Cronin has a decision hanging over the Trail Blazers as the regular season approaches, and Scoot Hendersons recent play has made it harder to simply wait and see. The point guard has shown enough in the playoffs and preseason to keep the front office thinking long term, even with questions still attached to his consistency and a backcourt that already has plenty of bodies.
ESPN analyst Bobby Marks pointed to the growing case for an extension, noting the ways Henderson has looked sharper as a shooter, more engaged defensively and more committed in his work habits. For Portland, that creates a familiar kind of dilemma: the upside of locking in a young lead guard early against the risk of paying for promise before it fully becomes production. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Preseason Win Put Two Young Names In Focus
The Trail Blazers opened preseason with a 2-0 start, and the early takeaway was less about the result itself than the way a pair of young players shaped the conversation. Portlands win over the London Lions, a non-NBA opponent, showed a team already finding some rhythm from the perimeter, with the group connecting on 47.1 percent of its three-point tries and a few rotation pieces flashing the kind of growth the staff has been looking for.
Scoot Hendersons continued progress as a shooter stood out, giving Portland another encouraging sign from a player central to its future. Yang Hansen also earned attention with extended run and a productive night that had the Blazers bench and coaching staff taking notice, especially for the way he moved the ball and made things happen within the offense. For a team trying to sort out its next core, those are the kinds of preseason developments worth tracking even before the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]