Lillard returns to Trail Blazers on three-year, $42m deal
Damian Lillard has signed a three-year, $42 million deal to return to the Portland Trail Blazers, just two years after leaving the franchise.
unbranded – Sport
Tom Dundon, owner of the Carolina Hurricanes, has reportedly reached an agreement to purchase the Portland Trail Blazers for just over $4 billion.The sale requires NBA approval and may not be finalized by the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.
The Portland Trail Blazers reportedly have a new owner.
Tom Dundon, who owns the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL, has reached an agreement to purchase the Blazers for a price tag of just over $4 billion, according to Shams Charania of ESPN on Aug. 13.
Dundon is joined by an ownership group of Sheel Tyle, co-CEO of Portland-based Collective Global, and others, according to The Athletic. Blue Owl Capital co-president Marc Zahr is a part of the group as well, per Sportico.
The Athletic reports that the sale is not yet final.
Portland has been a candidate for sale since former owner Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, passed away in 2018. His sister Jody Allen has run the team in the years since and officially put the Blazers on the market back in May.
A price tag of $4 billion would slot the Blazers among the NBA’s highest-valued sales of all time.
In 2025, the NBA’s flagship franchises, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, reportedly sold for valuations of $10 billion and $6.1 billion respectively. The Celtics’ sale, which was reported in March 2025, is yet to be finalized.
Two years prior, the Phoenix Suns sold for a then-NBA record $4 billion.
The transaction requires NBA approval but is anticipated to go through. The process takes several months and may not be finalized by the start of the 2025-26 NBA season, which tips off in late October.
Landon Bartlett covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at lbartlett@salem.gannett.com or on X or Instagram @bartlelo.