During Sunday’s Game 1 in San Antonio, the Portland Trail Blazers have been surrounded by color-coordinated fans sporting Spurs shirts.
But when the Spurs play Portland later this week, they will not see fan T-shirts draped over the backs of chairs. Trail Blazers president Dewayne Hankins stated fans will not obtain T-shirts — a customary provision from possession to fan bases throughout the league — for Friday’s Game 3 or Sunday’s Game 4 in opposition to the Spurs on the Moda Center.
The T-shirt plan is one other in a sequence of strikes drawing consideration within the weeks because the Blazers have been formally bought by Tom Dundon, a Texas billionaire who additionally owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. He purchased the staff for $4.25 billion.
Sheel Tyle, co-owner of the Blazers, posted on X that “we are doing something else,” however the staff hasn’t stated or posted something additional on the matter.
The Blazers additionally will not ship two-way gamers — those that play on an NBA and G-League contract — to street playoff video games. Those gamers — Caleb Love, Chris Youngblood and Jayson Kent — aren’t eligible to play within the postseason, however groups usually enable them to journey. Love performed in 49 video games, averaging 20 minutes, 10.2 factors, 2.3 rebounds and a couple of.5 assists per recreation.
Two-way gamers from the opposite seven playoff groups traveled to video games.
The cost-cutting additionally extends to off the courtroom. According to Sports Illustrated, the Blazers are cracking down on further lodge prices. SI reported final week that Blazers employees members have been seen within the foyer of a lodge as a result of they’d been requested to take a look at of their rooms to keep away from accruing any late checkout charges.
The Trail Blazers have been coached by former Spurs participant Tiago Splitter since Chauncey Billups’ arrest in October 2025 as a part of a pair of wide-ranging investigations associated to unlawful sports activities betting and rigged poker video games backed by the Mafia. Billups has been on unpaid administrative depart since.
Billups had signed a brand new deal in April 2025 paying him $7 million final season. It is not clear but if one other head coach will probably be employed or if the Blazers will grasp on to Splitter.
The Blazers have finished higher than many imagined, contemplating Billups’ arrest weeks into the season and a brand new proprietor being put in earlier than the season ended. Damian Lillard is heading in the right direction to return subsequent season, and a bunch of younger gifted gamers surrounds him — Scoot Henderson, Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan, Toumani Camara and Shaedon Sharpe.
