Carmelo Anthony slams ‘cheap’ Portland Trail Blazers owner for cutting costs

For Melo, that decision represents a deeper issue about how ownership should approach a fanbase that has historically been one of the most loyal in the NBA.

Tom Dundon’s cost-cutting approach raises bigger concerns

The T-shirt controversy is just one part of a broader pattern that has defined Dundon’s early days in Portland.

“You supposed to come in and over and did it. ‘Yeah, my team made it to the postseason. New owner. I gotta go overboard.’ It should be all types of experiences for them fans out there. You’re coming in with a nice business like here, go make this work,” he continued.

“That’s just cheap, bro. That’s all that is. Probably have this very conservative way of doing business, and that’s his way. This is why I said to own a team is big boy s___,” Melo concluded.

Additionally, two-way players were left off road playoff trips, staff travel policies were tightened, and even basic operational decisions have been scrutinized.

This approach is not entirely new for Dundon, who built a reputation in other sports as a highly involved, analytics-driven owner willing to cut costs in areas he does not see as essential.

The problem, at least in Portland, is perception. In a market that prides itself on the connection between team and fans, those decisions are being viewed less as strategy and more as unnecessary cuts.

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