The Phoenix Suns' franchise took a major step back when incoming owner Mat Ishbia made an aggressive blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant just shortly after the sale closed. The Suns sacrificed their future with an all-in move, sending out a package consisting of Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four unprotected first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets. With Bridges and Johnson eventually being flipped, Brooklyn turned this blockbuster into a total of ten first-round picks.
Phoenix has done a decent job of recovering from this nightmare as they currently sit seventh in the Western Conference. Still, this trade has significantly limited their ceiling as it's much more challenging to upgrade their roster around Devin Booker going forward.
The messy situation in Phoenix should absolutely be on the back of Tom Dundon's mind, as the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers has recently become official.
Tom Dundon can learn from Mat Ishbia's mistake
At Dundon's introductory press conference, it was revealed that Portland's front office considered pulling the trigger on a trade deadline move that would've made a "big splash." Most importantly, he added that, should the opportunity arise again, he'd look to be more aggressive.
That could be either a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. There's a history of new-owner syndrome negatively affecting franchises well beyond the Ishbia example. However, Dundon deserves the benefit of the doubt that this won't be another historically bad move under new ownership.
Blazers insider Sean Highkin recently joined Cyro Asseo and Sam Yip of HoopsHype on the "Around the Beat," discussing what we can expect from Dundon. Highkin reassured fans that it wouldn't be the same situation as Ishbia's aggressive moves in Phoenix because Dundon is too calculated to make impulsive decisions.
"I don't think it's going to be a situation like what happened in Phoenix, where a new owner takes over and 24 hours after the sale closes trades their entire decade of first-round picks for Kevin Durant," Highkin said. "Everything I've read, everyone I've talked to, Dundon is very hands-on, but in a more analytical way. He doesn't make impulsive decisions. He wants to look at every available piece of information, challenge every angle, and he's apparently willing to hear out opinions that disagree with his, which I think is a better thing than maybe some stuff you see early in ownership tenures."
Highkin also noted Dundon's proven track record with turning around the NHL Carolina Hurricanes as a reason for optimism that his process will work in Portland.
Dundon is taking over at a crucial time in the Blazers' rebuild, as their young core is finally ready to compete for a playoff spot. At the same time, they're also much more than just a Damian Lillard return away from being considered in those same tiers of the elite Western Conference teams, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs.
Overall, general manager Joe Cronin has done a good job of balancing making a playoff push without sacrificing the future. Hopefully, Dundon will continue to improve on their current trajectory and prioritize the future.