Tom Dundon has caught flak for his aggressive, cost-cutting approach since assuming ownership of the Portland Trail Blazers in late March. Now, the billionaire businessman is facing scrutiny over his seemingly questionable talent evaluation.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix relayed intel about Dundon’s “wild” contributions to Portland’s roster-building efforts, including an inquiry about ex-Los Angeles Lakers big man Christian Wood. The callback to the much-maligned journeyman raised alarm about the Trail Blazers’ direction.
NBA World Torches Tom Dundon for Kicking Tires on Christian Wood
While Portland is coming off a resurgent 42-win season and its first playoff appearance since 2021, the franchise’s success has somewhat been overshadowed by Dundon’s unconventional leadership. This includes the 54-year-old frequently penny-pinching on common team-related expenses such as travel and hotel accommodations, fan T-shirts, mascots, and coach salaries.
According to Mannix, Dundon has also been raising eyebrows behind the scenes with his input on the Trail Blazers’ front-office decisions, most notably displaying intrigue about Wood.
The undrafted stretch big man played for eight franchises in eight seasons, frequently bouncing around the league amid concerns about his subpar defense, inconsistent effort, and lack of winning impact.
“He has some wild ideas. Somebody told me recently that he was asking some personnel about why Christian Wood was no longer in the NBA,” Mannix shared with former Trail Blazers wing Evan Turner on “Open Floor: SI’s NBA Show.”
“Because I think he looks at the numbers that Christian Wood has put up and sees a guy that could potentially — you know, in Dallas he was nearly a double-double guy. He will give you numbers, but the reality is, as you and I both know, Christian Wood has just proven to be not a winning player. That’s the kind of stuff where you need people in your front office that kind of tell you, ‘Nah, that ain’t it.'”
Tom Dundon reportedly asked personnel why Christian Wood is no longer in the NBA, believing his stats show he can still contribute, per @SIChrisMannix
“But the reality is as you and I both know, Christian Wood is just proven to be not a winning player.” 💀
(Via @SInow) pic.twitter.com/3aZGzj8xGt
— NBABase (@TheNBABase) July 27, 2026
Upon discovering Dundon kicked the tires on someone widely deemed an empty-stats player, who has been out of the league since last year and never suited up in a playoff game, the NBA community on X promptly piled on.
“Jerry Reinsdorf can finally rest. We have a new worst owner in the NBA,” Chicago Bulls podcaster Justin Talks Hoops declared.
Jerry Reinsdorf can finally rest
We have a new worst owner in the NBApic.twitter.com/m2aWfUdwIX— Justin Talks Hoops (@J_Talks_Hoops) July 27, 2026
“What have you done, [Adam] Silver and [Board of Governors]?” Action Network’s Matt Moore asked.
… what have you done, Silver and BoG https://t.co/MoQwqm1CyU
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) July 28, 2026
“Blazer fans every time we got a report about Tom Dundon,” Synthetic Sports captioned a fitting meme from “The Simpsons.”
Blazer fans every time we got a report about Tom Dundon https://t.co/EhQ4XAcBft pic.twitter.com/QWJ3jjMeLA
— Synthetic Sports (@SyntheticSports) July 27, 2026
“I’m kinda confused why Dundon bought a team in the first place, like it doesn’t sound like he enjoys it or has a clue about players in this league. I’d love to know the point outside of investing in an org, like genuinely. And I’ve been on the nice side when it comes to Tom,” another user wrote.
I’m kinda confused why Dundon bought a team in the first place like it doesn’t sound like he enjoys it or has a clue about players in this league, I’d love to know the point outside of investing in an org, like genuinely. And I’ve been on the nice side when it comes to Tom but https://t.co/zsuOWYvHt8
— SwishBruh (@SwishBruhYT) July 27, 2026
While Dundon’s hands-on ownership style helped deliver the 2026 Stanley Cup to the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, he appears to be off to a rough start in winning over the Trail Blazers’ faithful. Potentially facilitating Wood’s unexpected NBA comeback is unlikely to help his cause.
