Tom Dundon‘s penny-pinching reputation since taking over as owner of the Trail Blazers continues to grow. Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report states in a subscriber-only story that Portland didn’t bring two-way players Caleb Love, Chris Youngblood and Jayson Kent to San Antonio for the first two games of its first-round playoff series.
Players on two-way contracts aren’t eligible to appear in the postseason, but it’s common practice to have them accompany their teams on road trips. Highkin checked with sources from the other seven teams that were on the road this weekend and confirmed that they all brought their two-way players, even though they were in street clothes. Highkin describes the Blazers’ decision as “well outside of standard practice” for NBA teams.
He points out that it’s “particularly insulting” for Love, a rookie shooting guard, who turned in several high-scoring performances in December and January when the team’s backcourt was dealing with multiple injuries. Highkin notes that Love and Sidy Cissoko, who was promoted to a standard contract in February after reaching his 50-game limit, both played important roles in helping the Blazers survive that stretch and giving them the opportunity to reach the playoffs.
As Highkin notes, there have been several “red flags” regarding Dundon’s reluctance to shell out money since he bought the team.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line recently reported that Dundon doesn’t want to spend more than $1.5MM on his next head coach, which is closer to the price range of top NBA assistants. That has led to speculation that interim head coach Tiago Splitter might not return after taking over following Chauncey Billups‘ gambling arrest and leading Portland to its first playoff appearance since 2021. Fischer also stated that the Blazers had exploratory talks with 20 college and international coaches in hopes of finding someone willing to accept the job at a discounted rate.
Dundon also reportedly had support staff check out of their hotel rooms in Phoenix at noon last Tuesday to avoid paying for an extra day. Staff members sat in the hotel lobby for several hours in their team gear as they waited for the first bus to the arena.
That’s crazy, the Warriors bought all their 2W plus Moody and Jimmy along to their play-in games. This should not be allowed even, NBAPA needs to talk to the commish about making these evil demon team owners fall in line. No more Oakland A’s John Fishers should be allowed to own teams if they are going to penny pinch, there are plenty of billionaires out there that wont do that.
That last paragraph, if accurate, is pretty embarrassing on ownership.
I feel like this is at a point where Adam Silver needs to step in…
Silver approved the buy so he had to know the guy plan to be cheap.
Silver probably plays golf or does yacht parties with dundon a lot I doubt he’s going to do anything
Bush league for any pro league and he might be able to get away with not paying his NHL coach as much as everyone else, but good luck with that in the NBA especially in Portland which already struggles to attract top tier free agents.
Okay I was like who cares until I read the last paragraph. What a scummy ownership group
I feel sorry for what’s in store for the Portland fans. First, the news that he doesn’t want to pay the going rate for a first time coach (how do you get a capable coach for cheaper than that?), now this. Sounds like a bottom of the barrel experience for everyone involved, players, staff, fans
When he goes dumpster diving for his next GM he could surely hire Nico for cheap lol
Tom Dundon is making a strong play for the coveted title of “Most Despised Franchise Owner.”
Mike Brown, Arte Moreno, and Jimmy Haslam offer some tough competition
Don’t forget the Pohlad.
Literally every owner is a trash person who makes his team worse in some way.
These guys don’t make all this money because they are more skilled or smarter than anyone. They are jerks who take every advantage they can get over any person at any time.
Well Bulls fans take solace. We don’t have the worst owner in the League anymore. Reinsdorf makes it rain compared to this guy. To Portland fans, Hopefully when this guy moves the team when he gets a better offer you get a new team in expansion and can try again for a new owner.
He keeps this up and not only will this guy have a front office staff, but no one will come to work for him either.
As a Hurricanes fan, I’ll tell you, he spends where he needs to, as our roster is built really well. In saying that, he haggled on Bring’Amour’s contract and low balled him. Then Waddell left as GM and people think it was financial. Just wait until he wants Portland to pay for arena improvements!
It’s easier to nickel and dime in the NHL with their salary cap vs the NBA.
The true test will be who the next coach will be for them. I think that’ll signify exactly how he’ll want to run the team.
Next thing you’ll hear is that he’s flying everyone Coach, removing the spreads in the locker room and installing vending machines instead, etc. LOL
Damn. That’s sad, yo. Portland has a great basketball culture. Always admired it from afar.
If he’s doing this stuff and saving money wherever he can find it, I think you can assume he’s also scrimping on stuff like analytics, scouting, training, medical staff/nutrition, etc. Portland will go straight back to the basement and stay there for years and even mid-level free agents will think twice before signing there. Word spreads among players. Very cool of the NBA to not vet this bum and to let another owner into the NBA who is just along for the ride to grab profits.
Portland is trying to do what the Tampa bay rays do and win without spending
Granted nba salaries don’t affect the court as much compared to mlb but dundon is clearly the owner to make profit and not to win
I don’t know if it’s true anymore (it probably is, but I haven’t paid much attention to them in recent years), but Tampa used to pour money into analytics teams and research and developing players. Spending X amount on players vs spending that much on training and development. Don’t know if Portland will do that with Dundon. Time will tell, but the news about him wanting to limit a coach’s salary is not encouraging.
He is super cheap, also not doing the shirts for fans in the playoffs. They plan on doing something else likely cheap.
That sucks. We got a scummy used car dealer / sub-prime lending thief who is robbing the franchise of everything of value so he can make a profit when the league expands to Europe.
I thought he was just being a tough negotiator, but now reading up on this guy, he is not trying to win games, he is just milking this for profit.
I guess I might be done with the Blazers until this guy is gone. To win in the NBA , you have to win on the court and in the board room. This loser has already conceded the board room… what’s the point?