Tom Dundon Defends Cost Cuts After Blazers Playoff Decisions

New Portland Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon has publicly addressed a series of controversial cost-cutting decisions that defined his first weeks leading the franchise, framing some as mistakes born from his unfamiliarity with the NBA while defending others as part of his deliberate management philosophy. Dundon, who also owns the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, assumed control of the Blazers in late March 2026, just as the team was concluding its regular season and entering the playoffs.

The early scrutiny centered on several operational choices. Dundon admitted it was an error to not have two-way players Caleb Love, Chris Youngblood, and Jayson Kent travel with the team for the first two games of Portland's first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. "I just made a mistake. I just don't understand the league," Dundon said on the "Game Over" podcast. "In hockey, we don't travel extra people, because we're not on vacation. We're here to win, so we don't want a distraction. The NBA seems to live with those distractions. It's not how I think about it. So, you've got to learn what the differences are between the two leagues."

General Manager Joe Cronin characterized the...