Blazers rumors: Is Tom Dundon threatening to leave Portland over $600 million Moda Center renovations?

Portland Trail Blazers new owner, Tom Dundon, has ruffled feathers with the fanbase, league circles, and analysts alike since he led the way in purchasing the team for $4 billion in March 2026. After already cutting costs in several different ways, rumors now speculate that Dundon could be threatening to relocate the franchise.

It’s said that Dundon and the ownership group seek $600 million to renovate the Moda Center. However, they don’t want to pay a single dime of that money and are asking Oregon taxpayers to cover the costs, according to ESPN. Dundon argued that simply keeping the franchise in Portland is already a big enough investment.

“It feels like we’re making a pretty big investment by staying here and paying these tax rates,” said Dundon at the annual meeting of the Portland Metro Chamber being held at the Moda Center.

Dundon made another comment at the Portland Metro Chamber that may come off as though he is threatening to relocate the franchise. Tom Dundon referenced the extremely high tax rates in Portland, Oregon, and mentioned that other cities in the U.S. have cheaper tax rates, according to Kyra Buckley and Alex Zielinski of OBP.

“There’s lots of places that don’t have taxes at the same rate,” Dundon said. “So if you charge people taxes and invest it back into the thing that helps generate the money relative to the market, other places … it’s a huge investment.”

Keith Wilson, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, has claimed that the city would cover $120 million of the Moda Center renovations. While that may be true, it’s reported that the City Council would have to first approve any money being allocated toward Tom Dundon’s request.

For now, the Trail Blazers will remain in Portland. However, as the ongoing talk about renovating the stadium continues, the rumors of relocation will linger until a final decision is made.

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