New Owners, Big Trade: Blazers' Contention Era

0:00Portland Trail Blazers just got new owners in a massive $4.25 billion deal approved by the NBA. Tom Dunn and Lee's the Rip City Rising Group, which took over Tuesday after buying from Paul Allen's estate. They're saying it's time to switch gears from building young talent to straight-up chasing wins and championships. The team sits at 39 wins and 38 losses in the Western Conference just the half-game behind the eighth-place clippers. They've locked in a play-and-spot, and grabbing that eighth seed means just one game to punch into the playoffs. The deal also covers the Rip City Remix G League squad and operations at the Motor Center. Dunn didn't make it clear Thursday, developing kids was necessary, but winning is way more fun. He hinted the Blazers had a big trade lined up at the deadline that GM Joe Crone and almost pulled off. This group stacked with heavy hitters like Shield Tile from Collective Global, Mark Zayer, a Blue Owl capital, the churring family behind Panda Express, and Stan Middleman who owns part of the Phillies.

1:00Dunn didn't know Stranger to sports. He runs the Carolina Hurricanes after buying in back in 2017 and just sold a slice for 300. 32.5 million. Portland's young core includes Scoot Henderson, Shaden Sharp, and Topscore Denny Abdija, but expect Boulder moves now. Meanwhile, the Motor Center set for $365 million facelift backed by state funds from early March to prep for the Women's NCAA Final Four in 2030. With Dunn in at the helm, the Blazers' era of real contention feels closer than ever. That's the story for today. Canada News Today, Driven by AI, I'm Corey with the story.