Tom Dundon, one of the new owners of the Portland Trailblazers, speaks during a press conference at the Moda Center, April 2, 2026.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
New Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon will make a rare Portland appearance this week, when he’s slated to speak with area business leaders.
Dundon is coming off his signature achievement as a professional sports team owner. His NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes, just won the Stanley Cup.
But the status of the billionaire’s more recent acquisition is less assured.
Dundon is navigating a coaching change, after Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter departed for the Chicago Bulls. And the Blazers are still coming to grips with an organizational shakeup after Dundon laid off dozens of employees last month.
But perhaps the most pressing issue, as Dundon prepares to speak to members of the Portland Metro Chamber on Wednesday, is the future of the Moda Center. The Blazers have spent the year pressuring state and local officials to spend $600 million or more to renovate the aging Portland arena.
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State lawmakers acted in February, OK’ing $365 million toward the project if Dundon agrees to keep the team in Portland for two decades. Multnomah County has also pledged $88 million.
The city of Portland’s piece of the pie has been harder to track. Earlier this year, Mayor Keith Wilson proposed kicking in $120 million to the renovation project up front, with nearly $300 million more over the next 20 years.
But it’s not yet clear how the city will cover that cost. Portland City Council is scheduled to hold a work session on an arena funding concept in City Hall on Wednesday, around the same time Dundon is expected to speak across the river at the Metro Chamber’s annual meeting.
The business event will take place, fittingly, at the Moda Center.