Litigation withdrawn! The Cheng family will officially take control of the Trail Blazers, with the addition of Chinese-American shareholders potentially benefiting Han Sen even more.

On October 14th Beijing time, The Athletic’s Volkunov reported that RAJ Sports, managed by the Batal family, has dropped its lawsuit against the Cheng family, minority shareholders in Tom Dundon’s acquisition group, which has finalized a deal to acquire the Portland Trail Blazers.

Reports indicate that Dundon and his team outbid RAJ Sports, which owns the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League and the Portland Fire, an expansion WNBA team debuting next season.

According to Volkunov, Dundon played a key role in brokering a settlement between the Batal and Cheng families.

In a statement, RAJ Sports said, “We are pleased to have reached an out-of-court settlement that we believe affirms our position and safeguards the future of Portland basketball. We look forward to closely collaborating with the Trail Blazers when the Fire join them at the Moda Center next spring.”

Previously, RAJ Sports had alleged in the lawsuit that the Cheng family, owners of Panda Express, violated an exclusivity agreement and sought a court order to prevent them from acquiring shares in the Trail Blazers. This lawsuit, which was withdrawn without prejudice, targeted only the Cheng family and not the Trail Blazers or Dundon’s group.

Volkunov noted that with the lawsuit dismissed, the upcoming sale of the Trail Blazers should proceed smoothly.

In September, the estate of Paul Allen officially announced that it had reached a formal agreement to sell the Portland Trail Blazers to a consortium led by Tom Dundon. According to an insider, the team is valued at $4.25 billion, with the transaction expected to close before the end of the upcoming NBA season.

Among the consortium members are the 77-year-old Cheng Zhengchang and his wife Jiang Peiqi, co-founders of Panda Express. Forbes data shows the family’s net worth at $7.5 billion, making them the wealthiest investors within Dundon’s group.

Before the sale, the Trail Blazers had already shown significant support for Chinese player Han Sen, recently launching a Chinese-language version of his jersey. With Chinese-American owners taking control, it is widely expected that Han Sen will receive further favorable treatment.