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Robert Alexander is a credentialed Senior Correspondent recognized by the United States Press Agency (USPA) and German Daily News.
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – The owners of Portland’s new WNBA team have dropped a lawsuit against a partner in an investment group that reached an agreement to purchase the Portland Trail Blazers last month.
RAJ Sports, owners of the Portland Thorns and Portland Fire – who will begin play in the WNBA in 2026 – announced that they had settled the lawsuit out of court in a statement obtained by FOX 12:
“We are pleased to have reached a resolution out of court which we believe recognizes our position while also preserving the future of basketball in Portland. We look forward to working closely with the Trail Blazers as the Fire join them at Moda Center next Spring.”
The lawsuit stems from a partner in Tom Dundon’s investment group, the Cherng Family Trust, run by the co-founders of Panda Express.
According to court documents, the Bathal family – which owns RAJ Sports – and the Cherng family were longtime family friends that entered into an investment agreement aimed at purchasing the Blazers shortly after the franchise was reported to be on the market.
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The two groups reportedly worked together for months on a bid to purchase the team, with the Cherng family signing an exclusivity agreement with RAJ Sports.
Court documents show that RAJ Sports alleged that they shared bidding strategies and financial analyses with the Cherngs prior to the sale, and were not made aware of the Cherngs’ involvement with Dundon’s group until the sale was publicly announced.
They asked in the lawsuit that the Cherngs be barred from being included in the Dundon group’s purchase.
As a result of the settlement, a hearing scheduled for Wednesday in the Delaware Chancery Court – where the lawsuit was filed – was canceled.
The Cherng family declined to comment on the settlement agreement.
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