A Ceasefire in the Boardroom: a New Era for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2025
The air in the Portland Trail Blazers sports scene has been thick with tension, not from a nail-biting fourth quarter, but from a high-stakes legal battle that threatened to derail the future of the Portland Trail Blazers. For a moment, it felt like the city was holding its collective breath. The courtroom drama, a clash of titans with fortunes built on everything from fast-food empires to high-stakes finance, has finally reached a quiet conclusion. An out-of-court settlement has been reached, dissolving a lawsuit that could have thrown the team’s sale into chaos. Now, the path is finally clearing for a new chapter in Rip City.
This wasn’t just a simple business disagreement; it was a power struggle for the heart and soul of Portland’s most cherished sports franchise, the Portland Trail Blazers. At the center of it were Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal of Raj Sports, the ambitious owners of the Portland Thorns and the new WNBA team, the Portland Fire. They had their sights set on a unified sports kingdom, and they thought they had the perfect partners in Andrew and Peggy Cherng, the founders of the Panda Express dynasty.
The plan seemed solid: combine the Bhathals’ sports acumen with the Cherngs’ immense financial power to make an offer the Allen Trust, the current stewards of the Blazers, couldn’t refuse. But then came the plot twist. Tom Dundon, the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and a figure largely unknown in Oregon, emerged as the frontrunner to buy the team. And standing right beside him? The very same Cherng family, the Bhathals believed, was their exclusive partners. The sense of betrayal was palpable, and it quickly escalated into a lawsuit alleging breach of contract and tortious interference. It was a messy, public dispute that cast a shadow over the franchise.
The High-Stakes Game Behind the Game
For weeks, the narrative was less about basketball and more about legal filings and affidavits. The Bhathals and Raj Sports argued they had been cut out at the knee, their meticulously crafted bid sabotaged by a last-minute defection. They claimed the Cherngs were the financial linchpin of their group, and their sudden move to Dundon’s camp wasn’t just a change of heart—it was a breach of an exclusivity agreement that left their own bid dead in the water. The lawsuit sought not only damages but also aimed to block the Cherngs from being part of Dundon’s successful bid.
The drama intensified when Dundon, in a power move of his own, filed an affidavit stating his group could acquire the Portland Trail Blazers with or without the Cherngs’ money. It was a bold declaration, a signal that he wouldn’t let this legal battle sink his ambitions. It seems that the same resolve helped bring everyone to the negotiating table. The result? A confidential settlement that ends the courtroom war before it truly began.
In a statement that felt like a collective exhale, Raj Sports signaled a desire to move forward, to build bridges rather than burn them. “We are pleased to have reached a resolution out of court, which we believe recognizes our position while also preserving the future of basketball in Portland,” the statement read. The focus is shifting back to the court, with the Bhathals looking forward to their new WNBA team, the Fire, sharing the Moda Center with the Portland Trail Blazers. It’s a sign of a truce, a necessary peace for the good of the city’s sports landscape.
What This Means for the Future of Rip City
With the legal fog lifting, the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers to Tom Dundon’s group can now move forward with few obstacles remaining. The final step is a formal approval from the NBA’s board of governors, a process that is now expected to be much smoother.
For the fans, this resolution is everything. It means stability. It means the end of uncertainty and the beginning of a new era. Dundon may be a new face in town, one with a complex business past involving subprime auto loans that has raised some eyebrows, but he is now on the cusp of becoming the new custodian of a team that means so much to this city. The hope is that this new ownership will bring a fresh vision, renewed energy, and a commitment to building a championship contender.
The settlement is more than just a legal document; it’s a promise of a functional, collaborative future for professional sports in Portland. The owners of the city’s top basketball teams are talking, working together, and looking ahead. The boardroom battles are over. Now, it’s time to let the games begin.
