A series of firings and layoffs have raised concerns about the viability of the Portland Trail Blazers' future under new owner Tom Dundon. Dundon, who purchased the team in 2025 from the estate of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has overseen a significant number of layoffs on the business side of the organization.
Massive Staff Reductions
Local reports indicate that more than 70 employees within the organization have been let go. Team president Dewayne Hankins told The Oregonian: 'As part of our plans to position the organization for the future, we made the difficult decision to restructure several areas of the business. These changes impacted talented people who have helped shape the Trail Blazers over many years. We are deeply grateful for their contributions, their leadership and the care they showed every day for our team, our fans and the Portland community. Our focus now is supporting those affected through the transition and positioning the organization for long-term success.'
Among those fired was Vice President of Basketball Communications Rahsaan Gethers, who was regarded as one of the best PR officials in the league. The moves come after the Trail Blazers had their season end in the playoffs.
Cost-Cutting Measures Under Fire
Dundon has been widely criticized for a series of cost-cutting measures he has undertaken since purchasing the team. This includes asking staff members to check out of their hotels early to avoid fees and the decision to not bring two-way players on road trips during the playoffs. Criticisms have come from fans, but have also been voiced by former players as well.
Trail Blazers icon Clyde Drexler blasted Dundon in an interview with Nick Kostos on the Westwood One Sports radio program 'You Better You Bet.' 'I've talked to Tom once and he seemed like a nice guy. So I don't really know him,' Drexler said. 'But I know one thing. When you're running a billion dollar industry, you can't act like you don't have any money.' Drexler added, 'I think the NBA has set a standard (for) every franchise. And the reason the best franchises are good, one, they value tradition. They take care of their players, they listen to the needs of their players. And usually they do whatever they can do to put themselves in a better competitive environment.'
Dundon Defends His Approach
Dundon recently defended his position on an episode of the 'Game Over' podcast by pointing to his success as owner of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes. 'I just don't want to waste money. I want to invest it,' said Dundon. 'We're going to take care of the players because it helps you win. It's part of the deal. The Hurricanes, since I bought the team, have the first or second-best record in the league. So I'm just not going to waste $100 million just because somebody wants to write an article calling me cheap. I'm just not going to do it.'
While Dundon certainly achieved business and athletic success with the Hurricanes, there is also evidence of his sporting investments failing. Dundon invested $250 million in the short-lived Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2019 and served as a member of the board of directors. After roughly eight weeks of funding, Dundon ordered the league to suspend operations less than two months after his initial investment.
