The Trail Blazers changed hands for US$4.25 billion, and the new boss spoke out: We are very excited! What impact does Yang Hansen have?

On August 14, NHL Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dunton has agreed to buy the Portland Trail Blazers from Paul Allen's legacy for more than $4 billion. US media Sportico followed up, according to multiple sources, the transaction includes two payments, one paid when the transaction is completed and the other paid afterwards, with a combined valuation of approximately US$4.25 billion.

"We are excited," Dunton said in an email. He did not respond to the price question. Allen's estate management agency declined to comment on the deal. Sportico's latest valuation of the Trail Blazers was $3.6 billion. Paul Allen, who acquired the Portland Trail Blazers in 1988 for $70 million, died in 2018. Sister Jody Allen becomes Paul Allen’s executor and asset trustee. According to the will, Trail Blazers and the NFL Seattle Seahawks (currently valued at $6-7 billion) will be sold one after another.

As early as 2022, Nike founder Phil Knight and one of the shareholders of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Allen Smolinsky, had proposed a purchase offer of more than 2 billion to Jody Allen, but was rejected by Jody Allen. It turns out that Jody Allen has a great business acumen like her brother. The market value of the NBA has grown rapidly in recent years. The Celtics sold for $6.1 billion this year, while the Lakers even sold for $10 billion. In the evaluation of major institutions, the market value of Trail Blazers rose to US$3.5-4 billion, and the final sale price reached US$4.25 billion. It can be said that Jody Allen sold the Trail Blazers three years late, and the price almost doubled. In contrast, former Timberwolves boss Glenn Taylor is not so smart about selling the team, or even losing money. He signed a sale contract in 2021 to sell the Timberwolves to Mark Lore and Alex Rodriguez for $1.5 billion. Unexpectedly, after the Timberwolves were sold, their market value soared like a Rockets. Glen Taylor regretted it, and he wanted to tear the contract on the grounds that Mark Lore and Alex Rodriguez did not pay on time.

The two sides fought a lawsuit, but in the end the Timberwolves' ownership fell to Mark Lore and Alex Rodriguez. The Timberwolves' valuation in 2024 has reached US$3.1 billion. If the Timberwolves are on sale now, the price may exceed $3.5 billion.

53-year-old Tom Dungton acquires the Trail Blazers at a premium. He is still very optimistic about the Trail Blazers' prospects, or rather, he is optimistic about the market prospects of the NBA. Dundon is an investor in the financial services and sports industry. He was born in New York and grew up in Texas. Dunton is chairman of Dallas-based Dunton Capital Partners. Dunton became the major shareholder of the Carolina Hurricanes in January 2018, acquiring 52% of the team's shares and operating rights to the PNC Arena for $420 million. In June 2021, Dungton acquired the remaining equity of the team and became the sole owner of the team.

In addition to ice hockey, Dungton also invested heavily in the Pickleball field, serving as chairman of Pickleball.com, and a major shareholder of the PPA Tour and the American Professional Major League. He is also involved in the operations of the former NFL.

Now, Dungton stretches his tentacles to the NBA. The sports industry is an important business section of Dunton. What impact will his intervention have on Yang Hansen?

Dunton is a pure businessman. He is not a basketball fan. He bought the Trail Blazers mainly because he valued the appreciation prospects of the Trail Blazers. In recent years, most NBA teams in the league have been profitable every year, which is much better than most teams in the league losing money 20 years ago. As long as an NBA team does not pay luxury tax, they will basically not lose money. However, teams like the Warriors have a luxury tax of no more than 100 million and are still expected to make a profit.

Dunton's personal assets are far less than those of the original boss Allen family. You can't expect Dunton to spend money crazy to introduce big-name stars. The Trail Blazers are likely to pursue a small-price business model over the years, which is more beneficial for rookie Yang Hansen.

Dunton needs the Trail Blazers to make profits and appreciate, while Yang Hansen is backed by the huge Chinese market. Previously, many media speculated that the Trail Blazers selected Yang Hansen through the draft and signed Lillard back in order to sell higher prices when selling the team. Although there is no conclusive evidence to prove how much the team's sales price has increased. But from the estimated sale price of the Trail Blazers of $3.5-4 billion, which eventually turned into $4.25 billion, it can be seen that after the Trail Blazers selected Yang Hansen and signed Lillard, the final sale price did rise compared to the estimate.

There is no doubt that the Chinese market behind Yang Hansen will be the next target of his boss Tom Dundon. No one will be unable to get along with money, and if Yang Hansen gained a foothold in the NBA, it would be very helpful for Dundon to expand the Chinese market. There is no problem with Yang Hansen getting reuse next season.

The Trail Blazers currently have 4 centers - Klingen, Hansen Yang, Rowe and Dup Rees. Klingen will be the starting center, and Yang Hansen needs to compete with two other players as the first substitute center. If Yang Hansen's rotation order can rank ahead of Rowe and Rees, and he will get 15-20 minutes of playing time in each game at the beginning of the season, it will be more conducive to his integration into the NBA as soon as possible.

Of course, for Yang Hansen, no matter who the boss is, the most important thing is to be yourself. If he can show enough on the court to help the Trail Blazers win, then no matter who it is, he will be reused. Yang Hansen has participated in the team's short-term training camp in Portland. He needs to speed up the running-in and fill in the gaps.