According to Jason Quick of The Athletic, March 31, 2026, is the target date for the closing sale of the Portland Trail Blazers. Blazers fans will have to wait for Tom Dundon and his group of investors to take over the franchise, but they should be thrilled about the positive impact the eventual change in ownership will have on the trajectory of this team.
"He brings a swagger," a source told The Athletic. "If Tom was the owner last year, he would have been trying to get Luka (Dončić). He would be like, 'Why should the Lakers have him?'"
Dundon has successfully turned around the rebuild of the NHL Carolina Hurricanes, and every sign points toward him doing the same for the Blazers.
Tom Dundon is perfect for the rebuilding Blazers
Almost every team would be trying to get Luka Doncic if Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison hadn't mishandled the situation, and teams actually knew he was available for trade. Still, the general mindset matters more than this hypothetical scenario, as it's clear the Blazers will be aggressive in landing that superstar caliber player they've been missing to contend in the stacked Western Conference.
Part of what makes the NBA such an exciting league is that virtually no player is untouchable. You never know which star will be the next one available, but the Blazers will at least try to get in the mix when that happens.
One superstar in particular that could make sense to trade for is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Teams around the league are eagerly waiting to see if Giannis will ultimately request a trade out of Milwaukee, as the Bucks have a flawed roster with no legitimate path to Giannis getting his second ring. Portland has Milwaukee's future draft capital due to the blockbuster Damian Lillard deal, which they would want back if they embraced a rebuild in a potential post-Giannis era. The Blazers could package those picks in a trade to run back a Giannis-Lillard pairing -- this time in Portland.
But regardless of the specific superstar that becomes available, it's apparent that the pieces are aligning perfectly for Portland's rebuild. They have an ascending young core and are projected to have significant cap space in the 2026 offseason to add to that core, just months after Dundon takes over.
With his "swagger" and ambitious ownership style that has already proven to work with the Hurricanes, Blazers fans should feel confident that Dundon will seize every opportunity to help get Portland back to contention. The timing of it all couldn't be better.