The Portland Trail Blazers have begun a restructuring that includes layoffs affecting employees across both business and basketball operations. The news landed on Tuesday morning during a video call, as the team’s new ownership group continues negotiations wit
A Tuesday morning video call brought the layoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers’ staff, and the impact reached far beyond the corporate side.
The exact number of employees let go was not made public. but the cuts included staff in both the business and basketball operations. Dewayne Hankins. the Blazers’ president of business operations. said in a statement that “These changes impacted talented people who have helped shape the Trail Blazers over many years.” He added. “We are deeply grateful for their contributions. their leadership and the care they showed every day for our team. our fans and the Portland community.”.
Among those affected was digital reporter Casey Holdahl, who had been with the team for 18 years. Holdahl announced his fate on social media, thanking fans for engaging with his work.
The timing lands amid a broader ownership shift. Joe Dundon leads the group of investors that bought the NBA franchise from the estate of Paul Allen. the co-founder of Microsoft. who died in 2018. The NBA’s Board of Governors approved the sale, worth a reported $4.25 billion, in April. Dundon also owns the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.
The restructuring arrives as the new owners work to secure the team’s future in Portland. The move comes as the owners group negotiates with both local and state officials over funding to renovate the Moda Center and secure a long-term lease that would keep the Blazers in the city.
In early March, the Oregon Legislature approved funds for the renovation of the Moda Center. The measure gives the state joint ownership of the 30-year-old arena with the city and provides a mechanism to secure $365 million for the building’s renovation ahead of the women’s NCAA Final Four in 2030.
The owners group includes Dundon. Portland-based Sheel Tyle. the co-founder of investment firm Collective Global; Marc Zahr. co-president of Blue Owl Capital; the Cherng Family Trust. the investment firm of the co-founders of Panda Express; Stan Middleman of Freedom Mortgage who also owns a stake in the Philadelphia Phillies.
For the people inside the building—especially those who learned their roles were ending during a video call—the business momentum has come with an immediate personal cost, even as the team presses forward with plans tied to the Moda Center and the long-term lease that would keep it in Portland.
Portland Trail Blazers Joe Dundon Moda Center renovation layoffs Dewayne Hankins Casey Holdahl NBA Board of Governors Oregon Legislature women’s NCAA Final Four 2030