Tom Dundon Points to Championship Track Record Amid Trail Blazers Arena Questions

Tom Dundon’s strongest argument to Portland is currently sitting in a trophy case in Raleigh.

At least, that’s the case he’s making.

The Trail Blazers owner pointed to that résumé Tuesday, invoking his championship track record while addressing the franchise’s unresolved Moda Center future.

“I don’t believe in making promises I can’t back up,” Dundon wrote, via Jason Quick of The Athletic. “My track record speaks for itself.”

That track record has a fresh centerpiece.

Dundon’s Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in June, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games for the franchise’s second championship.

Dundon became the Hurricanes’ majority owner in 2018 before purchasing the remaining shares in 2021.

Carolina has become one of the NHL’s most consistent contenders during his tenure, giving Dundon more than just one championship run to point toward when discussing his ownership record.

The Blazers are still at the beginning of that process.

Portland finished 42-40 last season and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The Blazers have since added Ja Morant to a roster that also includes Damian Lillard, raising expectations around a franchise that spent the previous several seasons outside the postseason.

The arena situation remains ... unfinished.

Public officials have put forward roughly $586 million in commitments connected to the Moda Center project, including $365 million in state bonds and $120 million in initial city funding. Multnomah County has authorized up to $101.6 million.

The Blazers’ current lease runs through October 2030. A new agreement would keep the franchise at the Moda Center for at least another 20 years, but negotiations remain ongoing ahead of a December deadline tied to the state funding.

Dundon addressed that uncertainty directly.

“On the arena, our focus is the long term,” Dundon wrote. “We’re working to make sure Moda Center remains one of the best buildings in the NBA. There’s work ahead, and we’ll keep pushing until we get there.”

The letter represents Dundon’s first comments on the arena since Portland City Council approved its term sheet in August.

There are still results in Portland that Dundon cannot point toward yet.

The lease remains unfinished, and the reshaped roster has not played a regular-season game together.

Carolina gives him something else to reference.

“My intention here is clear,” Dundon wrote. “Bring a championship to Portland.”

For now, Dundon has the proof point he wants Portland to see.

The harder part is building another one.