Just weeks into the job, Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon is already drawing scrutiny across the NBA due to his cost-cutting measures. Athletic reporter Jason Quick published a report on Tuesday, detailing a series of moves Dundon has implemented since taking control of the franchise, measures that have sent ripples through the organization during the team’s first playoff run in five years.

According to Quick’s report, the directive to curb spending came directly from Dundon when he assumed control. A team source told Quick, “The directive was, ‘Why are we wasting money? Let’s think about this prudently.’ Essentially, he was saying, ‘Let’s make things like the traveling party be about who needed to be there, not it-would-be-nice-if-they-come.’”

The clearest example came during the play-in game in Phoenix, as staff members were required to check out of their hotel rooms by 12:30 p.m. to avoid late fees, leaving them without accommodation for hours before the first bus departed.

Quick reported that interim head coach Tiago Splitter expressed frustration to a confidant after the team’s masseuse, having vacated her room under the same order, had no space to provide players with their pre-game treatment.

When the first round opened in San Antonio, the Trail Blazers were the only team in the playoffs not to bring their two-way players on the road.

Caleb Love, Chris Youngblood, and Jayson Kent were left behind, despite it being standard league practice to include two-way players in playoff travel as recognition of their regular-season contributions.

Love, in particular, averaged 10.4 points per game across 49 games this season and was central to Portland breaking its playoff drought.

Furthermore, fans arriving at Moda Center for Games 3 and 4 will not receive the free playoff T-shirts that have been a standard part of postseason home games.

Having said that, Jason Quick’s account of the new measures also included how parties within the league viewed Tom Dundon’s moves.

Quick’s Report Outlines How League Sources View Tom Dundon

The reaction within NBA circles has been pointed, as Quick reported a league source saying, “I know he doesn’t love Oregon, and is concerned that it is a state that can’t draw free agents. Well, with all due respect, you’re not helping the cause of drawing free agents when you treat everyone like s*** there.”

For those wondering whether the criticism is registering with Dundon himself, Quick’s reporting was equally direct.

“I ought to tell you, I don’t think he gives a rat’s a** what is said about him,” a league source told The Athletic. “Most owners care. They insulate themselves because they care very much about their image and profile. He doesn’t give a f***. He doesn’t even flinch with this stuff.”

However, those close to Dundon offered a different read.

“His heart is in the right place,” a team source told Quick. “He is going to build this thing into a winner, I know it. And I know three years from now, or five years from now, people are going to love it. But over the next 12 months, they are going to hate it.”

Quick’s report also noted that Tom Dundon applied a similar philosophy with the Carolina Hurricanes, cutting off-ice costs while concentrating spending on performance. That franchise eventually became a playoff contender.

That being said, whether the same model translates to the NBA and whether the reputational cost is worth it in a smaller market remains the central question around the new ownership.

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Written by

Hetal Moleshri

Edited by

Arvind Rao