“It’s like somebody buying a house because they like the street, not the house.” That’s how Bill Simmons described his biggest concern about Tom Dundon’s ownership of the Trail Blazers, suggesting the billionaire could be more interested in owning an NBA franchise than maintaining its connection to Portland. His comments come amid growing anxiety among some Blazers fans as the team and the City of Portland continue negotiating a long-term future at the Moda Center.

Simmons, on his podcast, questioned why Tom Dundon was able to buy the franchise, saying, “One of the things I was fascinated by is like, why did they let this guy buy the team? Why, why let El Cheapo get in there? And apparently they only had two offers.

“Because the price of these teams in general has gone up, and then the arena deal was dicey, and it’s a smaller, smaller market. And then the city’s definitely, it’s been a little topsy-turvy there for the last 10 years. And I just don’t think they had a lot of people that wanted to buy it.”

Simmons’ theory is simple: the Trail Blazers were purchased for roughly $4.25 billion while future NBA expansion franchises could reportedly cost $7–8 billion. Buying an existing team and eventually relocating it would be cheaper than paying an expansion fee.

“My fear for people in Portland is that he [Tom Dundon] looked at what the expansion number would be — which everybody’s saying is between $7 billion and $8 billion — and he’s like, ‘Ahh, I can just steal Portland for $4.25 billion and just move them somewhere else.’”

Simmons singled out Kansas City as the city he would watch most closely. He noted that the city has a modern NBA-ready arena, has successfully hosted major sporting events, and has grown into a market that could support a professional basketball team. He also argued that Kansas City would likely welcome an existing franchise, unlike Seattle, which he believes would rather receive an expansion team than inherit a longtime rival like the Trail Blazers.

The timing of Simmons’ remarks coincides with ongoing negotiations between the Trail Blazers and the City of Portland over a proposed renovation of the city-owned Moda Center.

The current proposal includes a $573 million renovation package funded by state and local sources, with the city expected to contribute $120 million if a final agreement is reached. Recent discussions at Portland City Hall suggested progress but also highlighted key sticking points. Trail Blazers executives attended a City Council work session after missing previous public meetings, while several council members indicated there is broad support for reaching a deal that keeps the franchise in Portland.

At the same time, negotiations remain unresolved over lease terms, including the team’s request to remove language requiring the city to maintain the arena in “first-class” condition, as well as other business-related issues raised by team leadership.

Blazers president of business operations Dewayne Hankins pushed back strongly against the provision, saying “the first-class standard has been wielded as a weapon, chilling our negotiations.”

The clause means that if the Blazers leave Portland, the city could sue for the money required to renovate the Moda Center. However, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson made it clear on Thursday that the city has no intention of suing the team.

While Tom Dundon’s intentions regarding the franchise’s long-term future in Portland remain a topic of discussion, the ongoing negotiation logjam has fueled speculation that Kansas City could emerge as a potential relocation destination.