The Portland Trail Blazers are set to be under new ownership. ESPN's Shams Charania reports that Tom Dundon, the owner of the NHL Carolina Hurricanes, has agreed to purchase the Blazers franchise with a valuation north of $4 billion.
Dundon reportedly agreed to buy the Blazers with the intention of keeping them in Portland. That said, this new ownership will inevitably have ripple effects, whether it's a different general manager or roster changes. The particular impact on the franchise remains to be seen, but one would assume that this is a positive for the Blazers' young core.
Dundon likely invests in Portland's young core
Joe Cronin made his desire to win clear through his comments and moves this offseason. Portland now has two distinct roster timelines between their recent first-round picks and veterans like Jerami Grant, Damian Lillard, and Jrue Holiday. As a result, Blazers fans wondered what their team's direction was regarding the next moves, especially since Lillard and Holiday would have to share the backcourt with Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe (once Lillard returns from injury).
New ownership makes it much more likely that Portland keeps its young core as building blocks rather than continuing to head down the wrong rebuilding path with win-now moves, risking purgatory. Dundon is in this for the long haul and wants Portland to have a bright future.
He's also experienced success as owner of the Hurricanes. Carolina was in a similar position to Portland when Dundon took over. The Hurricanes' rebuild has resulted in seven of eight playoff appearances and making the second round six times, leading to three conference finals.
Dundon already has a blueprint for what works and how a rebuilding team can build a sustainable contender. Keyword: sustainable. Accelerating Portland's rebuilding timeline with moves like the Holiday trade will help them get back to the playoffs, but it also defeats the purpose, as it limits their long-term ceiling.
The Blazers already have a promising young core, which was primarily responsible for their 15-win improvement last season as they took over down the stretch. They aren't too far from returning from the playoffs and continue to trend in the right direction with an up-and-coming roster yet to reach its collective prime.
Blazers fans should be relieved that Portland already has a foundation in place with its rebuilding roster. Dundon simply has to see things through by continuing to invest in their youth.