It’s pathetic
Tom Dundon has been nicknamed “El Cheapo” for cutting travel spending and limiting his coaching budget in ways that are well outside of NBA norms.
frontofficesports.com
Portland was the only road team to not bring its two-way players on the road for the opening weekend of the playoffs, according to Highkin.
The report followed
another from Sports Illustrated that team staffers had to check out of their hotel rooms before noon during a recent trip to Phoenix in order to avoid late checkout fees, despite having hours before team buses left for the arena.
Then there’s the
report that Dundon wants to pay no more than $1.5 million for the team’s next coach. The Trail Blazers are in the playoffs with first-year coach Tiago Splitter, a seven-year NBA veteran who stepped in after
head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested in October as part of the federal gambling probe.
Dundon’s reported $1.5 million cap is roughly what the top NBA assistants earn. Kings coach Doug Christie had no NBA head coaching experience before this year and is believed to be among the lowest-paid head coaches in the
league at $2 million.
Dundon
reportedly gauged St. Louis coach Josh Schertz’s interest in the gig. Schertz recently signed a six-year, $22 million contract to remain with the Bilikens that will pay him
more than $3 million annually—double Dundon’s desired price tag.
All of it is well outside the norm for NBA franchises and has earned Dundon the “El Cheapo” moniker from Bill Simmons.
