RealGM Basketball Wiretap

26 August 2025

• Tom Dundon To Bring 'New Vibe' To Blazers, Hopes To Close By End Of Regular Season

  The Portland Trail Blazers hope to close the $4.25 billion sale of the franchise to Tom Dundon by March 31, 2026, shortly before the end of the 2025-26 NBA regular season. Dundon, who also owns the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, is expected to bring a "new vibe" to the Blazers.

  "He brings a swagger," a source close to Dundon told The Athletic. "If Tom was the owner last year, he would have been trying to get Luka (Doncic). He would be like, 'Why should the Lakers have him?'''

  Dundon and the estate of Paul Allen have agreed upon all the major points of the sale and are currently in an exclusivity agreement. The Blazers will remain in Oregon though the future of Mona Center is unclear.

  Dundon helped turnaround the Hurricanes, who had missed the playoffs in nine straight seasons when he purchased the team. Carolina has now made the playoffs in all seven seasons since he took over.

  "He's a winner," the source said. "He's a straight shooter, and rolls up his sleeves and gets to work. He's already talking basketball, and he already knows all the salaries of players and employees. He's really invested in the players - he says you can't compromise on players."

• Nine Teams Could Have Significant Cap Space During 2026 NBA Offseason

  There are nine teams who project to have significant cap space during the 2026 offseason. Cap space will be more readily available next offseason than it was in 2025 after a 10 percent increase in the cap for this season and a projected seven percent increase for 2026-27, combined with fewer veteran extensions this year.

  The Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards.

  There were only three teams with salary cap space in 2025 in the Nets, Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets used their cap space to take on Michael Porter Jr. via trade, while the Grizzlies used theirs to sign a renegotiate-and-extend contract with Jaren Jackson Jr. The Bucks unexpectedly created cap space by using the stretch-and-waive on Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner.

  From 2013-14 to 2019-20, the league went through a period with an average of 17 teams per year with cap space. Since then, the average has decreased to 5.1 teams.

  The 2026 free agent class is expected to include Trae Young and LeBron James.

• Tom Dundon Plans To Keep Blazers In Portland

  Tom Dundon is expected to keep the Trail Blazers in Portland after purchasing the team for just over $4 million on Wednesday, sources told ESPN.

  Dundon and his group plan to discuss a public-private partnership for an arena with both the city of Portland and state of Oregon, according to sources.

  In 2024, the Blazers sold their home arena and the land under the arena to the city of Portland. A public-private partnership was launched to renovate both the arena and the area surrounding the arena.

  Other members of Dundon's group include Marc Zahr (copresident of Blue Owl Capital) and Sheel Tyle (Portland-based founder and co-CEO of Collective Global).

• Blazers Sold To Tom Dundon For More Than $4 Billion

  Tom Dundon has agreed to purchase the Portland Trail Blazers from the estate of Paul G. Allen for a valuation of over $4 billion. Allen passed away in 2018 and his sister, Jody Allen, has been managing his estate in subsequent years.

  Dundon is the owner of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is the chairman and managing partner of Dundon Capital Partners based in Dallas.

  The Blazers formally began the process of selling the team in May of this year.

  Portland's sale follows recent purchases of the Dallas Mavericks, Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.

• Damian Lillard Always Planned To Return To Blazers Before Retiring

  Damian Lillard envisioned himself returning to the Portland Trail Blazers at some point in his career even before he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023 offseason. Sources tell ESPN that Lillard told people of his plan.

  "Truthfully, he never wanted to leave," a source told ESPN.

  Lillard's return to Portland was expedited by his Achilles injury and the Bucks' subsequent decision to use the waive-and-stretch provision on him.

  "In just two years, I probably wouldn't have believed it," Lillard said in late July at his introductory news conference. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect this to happen at some point, but for it to happen this soon, I wasn't expecting this."

  Lillard will be 36 when he rejoins the Blazers after he recovers from his Achilles.

• Duop Reath Has $2.22M Salary Guaranteed By Blazers

  The Portland Trail Blazers have fully guaranteed the $2.22 million salary of Duop Reath for the 2025-26 season.

  Reath averaged 4.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10.2 minutes across 46 games for the Blazers last season.

  Reath went undrafted in 2018 out of LSU and made his NBA debut in 2023 after several seasons in Europe.

• Blake Wesley, Blazers Agree To One-Year Deal

  Blake Wesley and the Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a one-year deal. Wesley was recently waived by the Washington Wizards following his trade from the San Antonio Spurs.

  Wesley was the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft out of Notre Dame by the Spurs.

  Wesley appeared in 58 games last season with the Spurs, averaging 3.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 11.8 minutes.

• Damian Lillard On Return To Portland: 'I Wasn't Expecting It To Happen So Soon'

  Damian Lillard discussed his reasoning for re-signing with the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, mostly focusing on his family.

  "Just knowing that I'm going to be back home for all parts of my life, with my kids, playing for the Trail Blazers, driving on the same streets that I've driven on pretty much my entire adulthood, my whole family being here, my mom, my brother, my sisters, all my friends around the city of Portland," Lillard said. "All of those things count. I wasn't expecting it to happen so soon."

  Lillard signed a three-year deal with the Blazers last week that includes a no-trade clause and a player option for the third year.

  The 35-year-old did not rule out the chance of returning to the court next season as he rehabs his torn Achilles, though he added that he would not rush.

  "My prideful self would be thinking differently, but I think with age, you get wiser," Lillard said. "Like Joe [Cronin] said, it's going to be ultimately what's best, I think, to take as much time as possible to make sure that I'm right, that's what I'll do."

  Lillard currently holds franchise records for most points and 3-pointers. The Blazers won four playoff series and went to the Western Conference Finals once during Lillard's previous 11 seasons with the team.

  Chauncey Billups added that he was going to make Lillard an active participant in the team next season despite his injury.

  "I told him that this year he's going to be the highest-paid assistant coach in league history because I'll be putting him to work every day," Billups said.

• Damian Lillard Had Offers From 'Dozens' Of Teams, Expected To Miss Entire 2025-26 Season

  Damian Lillard had offers from "dozens" of teams around the league before signing a three-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

  "Boston, Minnesota, dozens of other teams had minimum and mid-level exception offers out to Damian Lillard in the last several weeks," said Charania.

  Lillard, general manager Joe Cronin, and head coach Chauncey Billups met at Lillard's house in recent weeks to figure out how reunite and move forward on a deal.

  Lillard is still expected to miss the entirety of next season as he rehabs his Achilles tear.

  Charania adds that being close to his children was the most important factor in Lillard's decision to return to the Blazers.

  "Being back with his three kids was by far the biggest and most important factor in Damian Lillard deciding to return and re-sign with the Trail Blazers," said Charania.

  Lillard and LeBron James are now the only players in the NBA with a full no-trade clause.

• Damian Lillard, Blazers Agree To Three-Year, $42M Deal

  Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract. The deal is expected to include a player option for the 2027-28 season and also a no-trade clause. Lillard is rehabilitating his torn Achilles suffered in the first round of the playoffs and is not expected to play during the 2025-26 season.

  Lillard was traded by the the Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the 2023-24 season following his trade request. The Blazers acquired Jrue Holiday as part of the original Lillard trade and then flipped him to the Boston Celtics. Portland acquired Holiday earlier this offseason, giving the team the possibility of pairing both veteran guards together.

  The Bucks used the waive-and-stretch provision on Lillard as the $113 million remaining on his contract will be spread out over the next five seasons. Milwaukee utilized the maneuver in order to sign Myles Turner.

  According to Marc Spears, Lillard was considering not exercising his $58.5 million player option for the 2026-27 season as living in Milwaukee away from his family had been a challenge.

  Lillard had multiple meetings among general manager Joe Cronin and head coach Chauncey Billups as they discussed reuniting. Lillard had interest in remaining with the Blazers for his entire career, but requested a trade as free agency began in 2023 as it was clear the team was embarking on a rebuild around Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.