Blazers Have No Shot at LeBron James Despite Tom Dundon's Interest

The Portland Trail Blazers and the other 29 teams in the league are curious about where LeBron James will play next season.

Ever since LeBron announced his intention to leave the Los Angeles Lakers, the rest of the league has tried to figure out how they can pry "The King" to their team, including the Blazers, according to professional pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters, who plays in the same league ran by Portland owner Tom Dundon.

“I don't know," Pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters said in an interview at the ESPYs via USA Today. "I know the owner of the professional pickleball league just bought the Portland basketball team, the Trail Blazers, and I know he's trying to get (James), so we'll see if that happens."

LeBron Shouldn't Be Viewed as Legitimate Blazers Target

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James moves the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's admirable for the Blazers to target LeBron in free agency, but it's a pipe dream at best. LeBron has targeted the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Golden State Warriors as the primary squads that he will look to join next season.

This interview gives a bit of insight into what Dundon wants to do. He is someone who wants to see the team succeed, as evidenced with the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes winning the Stanley Cup last month. He likely has the same desire for the Blazers despite his accusations of being a "cheap" owner.

Portland's interest in LeBron could signal that. Every team would want LeBron on their team if they could though, so this might just be the obvious claim of interest in acquiring the league's all-time leading scorer.

If Tom Dundon Wants to Win, He Has to Spend

Tom Dundon, the new owner of the Portland Trail Blazers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What we've seen so far in Dundon's tenure with the Blazers is that he wants to win, but he is hesitant about spending the money to do so. That was evident in the Ja Morant trade, where Portland received $1 million to acquire him.

Dundon will look for ways to save money and get better, but there will come a point where the two strategies won't align. Ultimately, he will have to pay up if he wants the Blazers in a position to win.

Over the last four years, three champions were in the top 10 in total salary at the end of the year. The only exception was the Oklahoma City Thunder, who built their team through the draft.

Portland can mimic Oklahoma City's success, but based on where the team currently is, that just won't be the case. Portland had zero draft picks in this year's draft, so the better way to go for the Blazers at this point is to spend in free agency.

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