FILE - From left, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Lisa Bhathal Merage, Alex Bhathal and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden at the announcement of a new Portland WNBA team at the Moda Center on Sept. 18, 2024.
Joni Land / OPB
The owners of two of Portland’s major sports franchises have sparked a legal fight over who might be among the owners of the city’s highest-value team, as the Portland Trail Blazers’ future enters a defining moment.
As first reported by the legal news website Law360 and The Oregonian/OregonLive, Raj Sports has filed for a temporary restraining order against part of the ownership group whose $4.25 billion bid for the Blazers was recently accepted.
Raj Sports, run by siblings Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, owns the Rose City’s major women’s teams: the Portland Thorns soccer team and the Portland Fire, which is poised to start WNBA games next year.
Related: Thorns and Portland WNBA owners decline to indicate interest in bidding on the Trail Blazers
The proposed order names as defendants CFIC-W Copernicus LLC, the Cherng Family Trust, Andrew Cherng and Peggy Cherng. The Cherngs are part of a group led by the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, Tom Dundon, though the legal filing doesn’t target Dundon or any member of the ownership group other than the Cherngs.
Raj Sports has filed an underlying legal complaint in a Delaware court, but it hasn’t been released publicly.
The legal step attempts to block the Cherngs, who own the Panda Express restaurant chain, from any involvement in the Blazers’ sale, saying they should be “enjoined from, directly or indirectly, entering into or pursuing any agreement, arrangement, understanding, acquisition, investment transaction, merger, or other combination transaction with or involving the National Basketball Association (’NBA’) Portland Trail Blazers franchise, any portion of the Trail Blazers franchise’s assets, or any direct or indirect equity interest in the Trail Blazers franchise.”
Related: Oregon’s new WNBA team rekindles Portland Fire
While the court action mentions Dundon’s ownership bid, which is up for review by the NBA Board of Governors, the proposed order is focused on the Cherngs and seeks to keep them away from any attempt to buy the Blazers.
When the Trail Blazers first went up for sale, Raj Sports didn’t announce its pursuit of the team, but it didn’t rule out the possibility either.
“Raj Sports is aware of the recent developments regarding the Portland Trail Blazers,” a representative said in an emailed statement to OPB, first shared in a story in May.
“As a company, we regularly evaluate strategic opportunities across the sports and real estate landscape, and we approach all such considerations with diligence and discretion. At this time, we have nothing further to share.”
Related: Allen Estate announces official agreement to sell Trail Blazers
However, in an article summarizing the Blazers’ acceptance of the bid from Dundon’s group, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that Raj Sports was among the other suitors for the team.
The court filing further attempts to keep the Cherng family from interfering with possible efforts by Raj Sports to participate in efforts to do business with the Blazers.
“Defendants, including any of their agents, employees, officers, or representatives, are all enjoined from circumventing, bypassing, interfering with, competing with, or attempting to circumvent, bypass, interfere with, or compete with Plaintiff with respect to any transaction involving the Trail Blazers franchise,” the proposed order said.
In a statement sent to OPB by a spokesperson, Raj Sports declined comment, “citing a deference to legal proceedings.”
Correction: A previous version of this story had an incorrect name for one of the members of the Raj Sports group. OPB regrets the error.
