NBA Expansion And How It Affects The Blazers

Tom Dundon, the new owner of the Portland Trail Blazers. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NBA Expansion And How It Affects The Blazers

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Elias Esquivel | Last updated Oct 4, 2026 9:00 AM ET

There's been a wave of unfortunate news since Tom Dundon purchased the Portland Trail Blazers. From mass layoffs, preventing two-way players from traveling with the team for the postseason, enforcing early hotel checkouts and slashing the broadcast team — not to mention hiring and firing a would-be play-by-play broadcaster in the span of a few hours — Dundon has done a poor job ingratiating himself to Portland.

He doesn't appear to plan on getting better at it.

First, some context. It's well known at this point that expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle is not a question of if, but when. ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the NBA is expected to choose the winning bid for the Las Vegas expansion team in "the very near future." ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported that several ownership-level sources communicated that "the most interesting fallout" from the Vegas deal is how it impacts Portland.

Currently embroiled with the city in negotiations over renovations to the Moda Center, Dundon appears willing to play any hand he can, whether it's in good faith or not. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported that, according to multiple ownership and industry sources, Dundon "has used the expansion process and the threat of relocation for leverage in recent discussions with other owners and city officials."

Frankly, it's a rather strange tactic. Beyond further ailienating the fanbase, it is quite audacious for Dundon, as Shelburne points out, to believe owners would even approve a relocation. Why would they? There is much more money to be made in expansion compared to relocation. Assuming Seattle and Vegas combine to create $15-18 billion in expansion fees, each owner has the potential to rake in between $500-600 million before the 2028-29 season.

Probably fair to assume a bunch of rich guys would rather do that than allow a fresh owner to move to either of the cities or wherever else he thinks he can get a desperate city to pay for an arena.

With NBA commissioner Adam Silver stating that relocating the Blazers would be "a failure," much of this feels like empy posturing from Dundon. But, as Shelburne reported, as long as Seattle and Vegas are on the table for new NBA teams and Dundon's qualms with the Moda Center continue, he can employ the underhanded method. Time will tell if it works, or if the Rose City calls his bluff.