Trail Blazers reportedly cutting costs on player travel, hotel checkouts in Tom Dundon's first month as owner
Dundon spearheaded a purchase of the Blazers. Since that sale was approved by the NBA on March 30, he's been quick to slash expenses.
The Portland Trail Blazers are back in the playoffs for the first time in five years, and they’re taking a noticeably different approach to the postseason. The Blazers’ two-way players didn’t fly with the team to San Antonio for the start of its first-round series against the Spurs, a head-turning cost-cutting measure that was first reported by The Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin . Even though two-way players — who are on contracts that allow them to split time between the NBA and the G League — aren’t eligible to play in the NBA postseason, it’s customary that they make playoff trips with their NBA teams.
After all, two-way players from the other seven playoff road teams this past weekend traveled to games, per ESPN . That’s not the only discrepancy between this year’s Blazers and other postseason teams. When Portland will host Game 3 and Game 4 of its series versus the Spurs, the Moda Center won’t be colored with festive playoff T-shirts.
In Game 1, the Spurs’ notably illustrated an eye-popping turquoise, pink and orange pattern that paid homage to the team’s old logo and to the Fiesta San Antonio festival that takes place annually in April. After Blazers president Dewayne Hankins announced the no-shirt decision, fan frustration was palpable, leading new Blazers co-owner Sheel Tyle to post on X in response that the team will be “doing something else. ” While that change may or may not be a money saver, it’s easy to understand why people are Portland are growing increasingly suspicious of an organization that’s reportedly been quick to slash expenses since a group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon purchased the Blazers for $4.
25 billion, a sale the NBA approved on March 30 . <p>Tom Dundon previously developed a cost-cutting reputation after he took over as the owner of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)</p> Soobum Im via Getty Images Dundon is a 54-year-old Texas billionaire who thrived in the auto loan business, has collected pickleball assets and, as mentioned above, also owns the NHL’s Hurricanes.
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