NHL Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has agreed to buy the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico. Dundon brings a history of success in turning around the Hurricanes franchise. Even better, Sportico reports that Dundon intends to keep the Blazers in Portland.
Blazers fans should be thrilled about this recent development. However, it could spell trouble for one particular individual: general manager Joe Cronin.
Tom Dundon may want a fresh front office to help enact his plan
Cronin agreed to a multi-year contract extension this offseason, which was a polarizing decision. Portland is committed to Cronin's vision of having a defensive identity built around length and athleticism. That aligns well with defensive-minded head coach Chauncey Billups, making the two a good pairing. However, it remains to be seen whether the incoming owner shares this same vision.
Sometimes, incoming owners want an entirely clean slate, starting from the top of the organization. Dundon has a previous history of doing this himself. He became the owner of the Hurricanes in 2018. The GM at the time was Ron Francis, but Francis was later reassigned to the position of President of Hockey Operations, and his contract was ultimately terminated.
"Since I took control of the team, I've had a good chance to be around and assess the operations," said Dundon, via Greg Wyshynski of ESPN. "There are a lot of good people working in the organization, but I feel that a change in direction is needed when it comes to hockey personnel decisions. Ron is a smart and talented hockey man. I am glad that he will continue to be a part of the team, serving in this new role."
There are also a few parallels between both franchises (beyond their similar logos) that could hint at Cronin's future potentially coming to an end. The Hurricanes had a nine-year playoff drought that immediately ended once Dundon took charge. Meanwhile, the Blazers have an active four-year drought of their own. That's likely to continue as their young roster isn't developed enough to be considered a serious threat in the loaded Western Conference.
Some have suggested that the looming ownership change and Portland's recent lack of success played a role in Cronin's puzzling win-now trade for 35-year-old Jrue Holiday.
"I firmly believe that Cronin and Billups must win next season with a new owner on the horizon, "The Oregonian's Aaron Fentress said on X. "Jrue Holiday is a win-now addition that could help this team reach the postseason. His contract is irrelevant because Cronin and Billups might not survive an ownership change if they experience their 5th consecutive losing season."
Dundon is already accustomed to playoff success. Since taking over in Carolina, the Hurricanes have made the postseason in seven of eight seasons, including three conference finals. Despite the trade for Holiday, the Blazers are still seemingly years away from achieving that level of success, which could spell trouble for Cronin.