Trail Blazers Future in Doubt as ‘Sonics 2.0' Warning Emerges Around Tom Dundon
Since taking over as the owner of the Portland Trail Blazers in August 2025, Tom Dundon sparked controversy through aggressive cost-cutting measures, reported layoffs across the organization, increased scrutiny surrounding arena negotiations, and growing anxiety about the franchise's long-term future in Portland.
Reports in recent weeks painted the picture of a franchise undergoing a sharp corporate reset under Dundon's leadership.
Now, a new development shifted the conversation to something even more alarming.
Appearing on Yahoo Sports Daily on Tuesday, Sports Business Radio host Brian Berger argued that he believes Dundon will "do everything in his power" to move the Blazers if public financing or arena demands are not met, adding that NBA owners historically show little appetite for blocking relocations because relocation fees financially benefit the league.
"It breaks my heart to say it, but this seems to be Sonics 2.0," Berger said. "I think he's going to say all the right things. And at the end of the day, he's going to come with a pretty cutthroat deal for the state and the city, and when they don't make that deal, he's going to use that as his excuse to move the team."
"Other owners are not going to stop you from doing what you want to do, like relocating, because if they want to do something in the future, they don't want you to vote against them," he added. "So they're very unlikely to vote against him moving. And if he does relocate, there's a relocation fee attached to that, so all the other NBA teams would make money from Dundon relocating."
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In 2006, the Seattle SuperSonics were sold by Howard Schultz's ownership group to investors led by Clay Bennett, an Oklahoma businessman.
Bennett made attempts to build a new arena in Seattle, though some were skeptical about whether the process was genuine. And when negotiations for a new publicly funded arena collapsed, the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008 and became the Thunder.
And just like that, Seattle lost its NBA team.
Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden became Thunder stars instead of SuperSonics legends. The city lost economic activity, identity, and a cornerstone of its sports culture.
That is why "Sonics 2.0" hits differently in Portland.
The Blazers are the only professional sports team in the state of Oregon among the four major leagues.
The MLS’s Portland Timbers have been around since 2009, and the Portland Fire is one of the WNBA’s newest expansion teams, but the Blazers have long been the heartbeat of Oregon, and since the Sonics departure, the only NBA team in the Pacific Northwest.
The franchise has been a big part of Portland culture since 1970, surviving eras from Bill Walton's title run to Clyde Drexler, Brandon Roy, and Damian Lillard.
Losing the Blazers would leave a massive hole in the sports world.
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The arena remains the biggest issue. The Moda Center is aging, and like the situation in Seattle years ago, renovation talks have centered on major funding questions involving both public and private money.
Questions about the team's long-term future have fueled speculation about relocation pressure. Reports earlier this year also raised concerns that ownership could use unresolved arena talks as an opening to pursue a move.
For now, the Blazers are still in Portland. But Rip City may be staring at the same kind of threat that once cost Seattle its NBA team.
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 12:21 PM.