Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon, whose first year as the majority shareholder of the franchise has been plagued by minor controversies, sent a letter to season ticket holders on Tuesday in which he vowed to make the Blazers a championship-caliber team, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic and Mike Freeman of The Oregonian (subscription required).
Within the letter, Dundon discussed the strides that core Blazers like Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, and Toumani Camara made last season and expressed optimism about adding Ja Morant and Damian Lillard to that group. He wrote that his expectation is for the team to “compete every night” and take “another step forward” in 2026/27.
“I’m still getting to know Portland and this fanbase,” Dundon said. “But one thing is already clear: you show up, you care, and you expect more than mediocrity. I respect that. I saw the same commitment in Raleigh, where fans just watched (Dundon’s Carolina Hurricanes) hoist the Stanley Cup.
“I don’t believe in making promises I can’t back up. My track record speaks for itself, and my intention here is clear: bring a championship to Portland.”
As Quick observes, while Dundon addressed the Moda Center renovations and suggested the goal is to ensure the arena is “one of the best buildings in the NBA,” he stopped short of guaranteeing that the Blazers will remain in Portland long-term. The team and the city of Portland continue to haggle over issues like rent, ticket taxes, property taxes, and union labor as they look to finalize a funding deal for the arena renovations ahead of a December deadline, Quick notes.
We have more from around the Northwest:
The Timberwolves aren’t asking new point guard LaMelo Ball “to change his game at all, in any way, shape or form,” according to head coach Chris Finch, who says it’s important to let “LaMelo to come in and be LaMelo” (story via Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports). The Wolves got a glimpse of what that looks like in Monday’s preseason opener, as Ball contributed 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists in 17 minutes. Finch was most impressed with the point guard’s defensive performance, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “A ton of effort, really smart in the sense that he’s playing good positional defense,” the Wolves’ coach said. “He’s using his length well. He’s understanding how to navigate playing out there with Rudy (Gobert), like, how to keep pursuing at times. I’ve been really, really pleased with that.”
The Thunder haven’t gotten anything from their rookies during the past two seasons, as both Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber spent their first years in the NBA recovering from ACL tears. But 2026’s first-rounders, Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz, showed in the team’s preseason opener that they might be ready to contribute as rookies, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. Mara racked up 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in 18 minutes of action, while Stirtz showed off both his play-making and catch-and-shoot abilities en route to 15 points and six assists in 30 minutes.
Inconsistent defense and foul trouble have limited Julian Strawther’s role in his first three NBA seasons, but this year may represent his best chance to become a regular part of the Nuggets’ rotation, Vinny Benedetto writes for The Denver Gazette. Still, as Benedetto acknowledges (via Twitter), with DeMar DeRozan, Spencer Jones, Tyus Jones, and Marvin Bagley III all expected to earn minutes with the second unit, the last spot in the rotation when everyone’s healthy could come down to Strawther vs. Alpha Diallo.