On August 14, according to ESPN's well-known reporter Shams Charania, NHL Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dunton has agreed to acquire the Portland Trail Blazers from the estate of the late Paul Allen at a valuation of more than $4 billion.

According to Sportico , Dunton is not working alone; his acquisition team also includes Mark Zahl, co-president of Blue Owl Capital, and Shel Thiel, co-CEO of Portland-based Collective Global .

Jody Allen , the Trail Blazers' current owner and sister of the late Paul Allen, announced her plans to sell the team in May. This decision stemmed from adjustments to her plans for the team following her brother's death. Now, just months later, a buyer has been found for the team. However, the deal still requires formal approval from the NBA's Board of Governors.

Dunton, 53 , was born in New York City and attended Southern Methodist University. He owns the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and sits on the board of directors of the National Football League. He has also invested in projects such as Topgolf Callaway Brands and pickleball.com .

Dunton participated in the acquisition of the Hurricanes as early as the end of 2017 and became the team's majority shareholder in January 2018. In June 2021 , he bought all of the team's minority shares and became the sole holder.

Now, Dunton will officially step into the NBA stage with his management philosophy and investment vision, and the Portland Trail Blazers will also write their next chapter in the new era.