Tom Dundon is basically broke. His net worth is under $2 billion, meaning he probably had to purchase the Blazers using a Pay in 4 plan, just like how the rest of us buy things online. So, can you really blame him for pinching pennies as Blazers owner, like he appears hellbent on doing when searching for the Blazers' new coach? From NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line:
The consistent word for weeks about new Blazers owner Tom Dundon is his apparent desire to pay no more than $1.5 million annually for a new head coach. That's well below the current NBA standard ... even for a first-time head coach... From $1 million to $1.5 million is actually the price range for the league's top assistant coaches, but Portland's desire to spend so modestly on a full-time replacement for Billups has been widely communicated..."
To answer my question from before... Yes, you actually can blame him for that (could you sense the sarcasm through the page?) And you should blame him for that. Because Dundon didn't mince words about wanting to win now, and refusing to pay a coach a competitive salary is a frustratingly ironic way to start that winning.
This story was first reported by Bill Orem of The Oregonian, who was less bashful than Fischer in his word choice: "I don’t have a secret beam into Dundon’s brain, but listen to enough people around the NBA and you hear one word to describe his approach to the Trail Blazers’ next head coach: Cheap."
Wonderful!
But wait, if you liked your new owner won't pay a coach, you're going to love your team refuses to pay late checkout fees at a hotel.
Seriously. According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated:
"On Tuesday afternoon, a strange scene played out at the Trail Blazers’ Phoenix-area hotel. Onlookers noted people in Blazers gear hanging out in the lobby. According to four sources with knowledge of the situation, a number of staffers were asked to check out of their rooms at noon, hours before the first bus left for the arena. The reason, multiple sources say, was for the team to avoid the cost of a late checkout."
It's important to note that Dundon may not have had any say in this strange, extremely cheap decision. But the timing would be awfully coincidental if that's the case.
Whatever. The Blazers are in the playoffs for the first time in six years, and Moda Center is going to be rocking for Games 3 and 4 against the San Antonio Spurs. Let's focus on the basketball... Basketball that won't be played in front of a crowd with matching shirts, as the Blazers have decided not to give out t-shirts to fans for either game, according to Guillermo Motta of KATU news.
Alright.
Tom Dundon can immediately put rumors to bed this offseason
Tom Dundon has been the owner of this team for less than a month and we're at three situations that can only be described as a franchise being painfully cheap. That's an impressive pace in the worst way possible, and fans — even fans who want to give Dundon the benefit of the doubt as an owner — are starting to grumble.
Dundon can change his reputation in one offseason. In fact, he doesn't really have a choice, because no one is going to accept a salary that's about 75% less than what their contemporaries are making. As they shouldn't!
Offer a competitive salary to a coach, show that you're willing to pay the luxury tax, and give fans some dang shirts. The people of Portland don't ask for much, but it's not a huge request that the billionaire owner of their local basketball team should be willing to spend some of his literal infinite supply of cash.
Add us as a preferred source on Google