Kevin Calabro Says He’s Leaving Blazers After Lowball Offer - Willamette Week

What the report says

Willamette Week reports that Kevin Calabro, the Portland Trail Blazers’ television play-by-play announcer since 2016, is leaving the team after rejecting what he characterized as an inadequate contract offer. In an interview with the outlet Wednesday, Calabro said the proposal did not justify the time, workload or use of his name, and that it included no benefits. The report says he does not plan to retire and is looking at other opportunities.

According to Willamette Week, Calabro’s contract expired June 30, but his agent continued seeking an extension before the team made an offer Monday. Calabro said he decided to move on while in Portland for a charity golf event honoring Maurice Lucas. He also told the outlet he viewed the team’s approach as lacking urgency to complete a deal. The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman was credited in the article with first reporting that Calabro was not retiring.

The departure comes amid broader changes under new Blazers owner Tom Dundon. Willamette Week reported that at least 75 employees have left the organization since Dundon introduced himself at Moda Center on April 2, including several broadcast and media figures. The team’s public affairs director, Charles Boyle, said the franchise is changing its broadcast operations for the coming season and seeking greater efficiency, while confirming radio play-by-play will continue and will not be a television simulcast.

Calabro’s exit matters because he was one of the franchise’s most familiar voices and part of a widely recognized broadcast pairing with analyst Lamar Hurd, who remains employed by the team. It also adds to scrutiny of cost-cutting and staffing decisions as the organization prepares for the next season.