Gilbert Arenas on Blazers cost-cutting rumors: How many assistant coaches do you need?

Former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas can seemingly see both sides of new Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon’s reported cost-cutting ways.

For a little background, Dundon is reportedly looking to save a little money during the playoffs.

That includes requiring non-player, non-coach members of the travel party to check out of the team hotel early to avoid late fees.

The team masseuse was supposedly among that group. So while players stayed, the pregame massage perhaps did not.

Reports also say Dundon may be exploring new coaching candidates during the playoffs — and offering about $1 million per year. By today’s NBA standards, that’s on the really low end.

Along with that, the Blazers reportedly did not allow their two-way players to travel to playoff road games in San Antonio. All other playoff teams did the opposite, bringing those players along as part of the group.

Anyway, Dundon is also the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and has taken similar cost-cutting measures there. That said, the Hurricanes are widely viewed as one of hockey’s best-run organizations.

So maybe this is just how he operates. Spend on players. Trim the rest.

That could be a problem. It could also be a wise strategy.

Arenas suggested it all depends on where the cuts are made.

“You’re going to have the next generation of talent begging not to come to Portland. Agents are going to refuse to let their players get drafted there,” he said on his podcast, via NBA Base. “If this is real and it’s getting out — you’re talking about not giving a masseuse a room? That’s not improving your team.

“You’ll pay for everything else, but you can’t cover an extra $250 to $500 for her to have a room for the night? I don’t understand why companies and business people cut the cheapest things that are actually important.”

On the other hand, maybe some areas could stand to be trimmed, too.

“I’m sorry that I’m going to say it, because I don’t want nobody to lose their job — but how many individual coaches do you need on the roster?” Arenas said. “I was looking at the Laker bench; there’s more coaches than players!

“It’s like they took half the (expletive) up. If y’all don’t get y’all non-worthy asses in the back somewhere. You got seven coaches, then 15 more in the back row looking like a damn Wu-Tang show!”

Arenas wasn’t finished.

“How many iPads you need?” he said. “What do you need an iPad for when they put it on a jumbotron? Like, you don’t think we need to review something? I don’t need six people. It looks like my house when I was raising my kids.

“Everybody got an iPad. That’s what it looks like now. So trying to go cheap on things that are actually needed, when you can cut costs everywhere else, doesn’t make much sense.”

Arenas may have a point.

I’ve covered the NBA for 20 years, and I still couldn’t tell you what the assistant coaches beyond the top two or three actually do, other than rebound the ball at practice and pregame workouts.

Along with that, you have ball boys, dance teams, endless part-time entertainers, a bevy of giveaways, and for some teams (including the Blazers) TWO mascots.

It’s a lot. Probably more than necessary. What you need to succeed in the NBA is … and hear me out … players.

And, yes, probably someone to help them loosen up before games. Just ask Arenas.