Blazers to be sold to Hurricanes owner, pickleball enthusiast

A gaggle led by billionaire Tom Dundon, the proprietor of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, has reached a tentative settlement to purchase the Path Blazers from Paul Allen‘s property, sources inform Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico.

Blue Owl Capital co-president Marc Zahr and co-CEO of Collective World Sheel Tyle are among the many different traders who’re a part of Dundon’s group, in line with Soshnick and Novy-Williams, who say the consumers intend to maintain the group in Portland.

The Blazers might be valued at greater than $4 billion within the sale, experiences Shams Charania of ESPN.

The Path Blazers announced their plans to promote the franchise again in Might. Allen, the longtime Blazers proprietor who bought the franchise for $70M in 1988, died on Oct. 15, 2018, ensuing in charge of the group being transferred to his sister Jody Allen, the trustee and executor of his property.

The plan following Paul Allen’s dying was for possession of the Blazers to ultimately change arms as a part of an property sale, which is the method that’s enjoying out now. The funding financial institution Allen & Co. (no relation) and the legislation agency Hogan Lovells had been chosen to guide the sale of the group.

As Soshnick and Novy-Williams be aware, whereas the valuation of the Blazers on this tentative deal isn’t but recognized, a belief usually has a fiduciary obligation in an property sale to maximise the worth of its property and to promote to the best certified bidder.

When Sportico final up to date its NBA franchise valuations in December 2024, the positioning estimated the Blazers’ price to be $3.6 billion. New homeowners have agreed to purchase the Celtics ($6.1 billion valuation) and Lakers ($10 billion valuation) since then.

All property proceeds because of the Blazers sale might be directed towards philanthropy, per the late Allen’s needs.

Along with proudly owning the NHL’s Hurricanes, Dundon has invested closely in pickleball — he’s the bulk proprietor of the PPA Tour and Main League Pickleball. Dundon, who can be the chairman and managing companion of the Dallas-based funding agency Dundon Capital Companions, will function the Blazers’ new governor if and when the sale is formally accepted by the NBA, per Sportico’s report.