The Trail Blazers have laid off employees as part of a restructuring effort

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers have laid off employees as new owner Tom Dundon cuts costs.

The exact number of employees who were let go was not made public, but they included staff in both the business and basketball operations.

"These changes impacted talented people who have helped shape the Trail Blazers over many years,” Dewayne Hankins, the Blazers' president of business operations said in a statement. "We are deeply grateful for their contributions, their leadership and the care they showed every day for our team, our fans and the Portland community.”

Dundon leads the group of investors who bought the NBA franchise from the estate of Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft who died in 2018. The NBA's Board of Governors approved the sale, worth a reported $4.25 billion, in April. Dundon also owns the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL.

Blazers employees learned of the layoffs during a Tuesday morning video call. Among the employees impacted was digital reporter Casey Holdahl, who had been with the team for 18 years. He announced his fate on social media, thanking fans for engaging with his work.

The move comes as the new owners negotiate with both local and state officials over funding to renovate the Moda Center and secure a long-term lease that would keep the team in Portland.

The Oregon Legislature approved funds for the renovation of the Moda Center in early March. The measure gives the state joint ownership of the 30-year-old arena with the city, and provides a mechanism to secure $365 million for the building’s renovation ahead of the women’s NCAA Final Four in 2030.

The new owners group includes Dundon, Portland-based Sheel Tyle, the co-founder of investment firm Collective Global; Marc Zahr, co-president of Blue Owl Capital; the Cherng Family Trust, the investment firm of the co-founders of Panda Express; Stan Middleman of Freedom Mortgage who also owns a stake in the Philadelphia Phillies.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

FILE - Portland Trail Blazers new owner Tom Dundon speaks during a news conference April 2, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

TIJUANA, México (AP) — Iran’s soccer team arrived in Mexico on Sunday morning for training ahead of the World Cup, before three group matches in the United States later this month.

Ehsan Hajsafi was the first player to exit the plane with the markings www.usc.aero, which arrived at about 5:05 a.m. He led the team through a brief security check with Mexican officials and dogs before boarding a bus.

The bus stopped briefly at the entrance to the Tijuana airport, where around 20 or so Iran fans waved flags.

The team’s participation in the World Cup has been complicated by the Iran war. Problems with processing visas had earlier led Iran to move its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, which is on the border with California.

The team has been training in the Turkish city of Antalya.

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Fans for team Iran wave as players arrive for the World Cup soccer tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Iran's Ehsan Hajisafi, right, arrives with his teammates for the World Cup soccer tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Iran's Alireza Jahanbakhsh, second from right, talks with a team official as he arrives with his teammates for the World Cup soccer tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Iran's Ehsan Hajisafi, center, walks with a team official as he arrives with his teammates for the World Cup soccer tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Iran's Ehsan Hajisafi, left, arrives with his teammates for the World Cup soccer tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)