The seasoned veteran-turned-assistant brings his high-IQ reputation to Portland, parlaying successful coaching stints in Dallas and Denver into a serious bid for the Blazers’ top job.
Former Brooklyn Nets forward Jared Dudley interviewed with the Portland Trail Blazers for their head coach opening on May 8, first reported by HoopsHype senior inside Michael Scotto.
Dudley's interview with the Trail Blazers is a positive sign for his coaching career. He spent his final seasons on the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers, serving a veteran role for the locker room and young players. Dudley believes his leadership during his playing days has helped his coaching venture.
"Listen, it's all the things that I've done as a player," Dudley told Michael Flix on Oct. 21, 2025. "High IQ, doing stuff the right way, being a good teammate. It just shows you that if you do stuff the right way, it comes to you in the back end."
The former Net started his coaching career with the Dallas Mavericks after the Lakers did not bring him back for his final season. He said he wasn't thinking about becoming a coach; instead, he wanted to become a general manager after meeting with commissioner Adam Silver in Brooklyn.
"So after the Lakers, I actually was thinking about becoming a GM," Dudley said. "It wasn't until I talked to T-Lue and Rich Paul where they were talking about the money for coaching, and if you get fired, you can still become an assistant coach. Then, once the Lakers didn't want me back in my final year, Jason Kidd ended up becoming the head coach of Dallas, and I went from a player to the front of the bench."
Dudley has been a part of successful teams as an assistant. He spent four seasons with the Mavericks, and two of those seasons ended with 50 or more wins. Dallas went to the 2024 NBA Finals and lost to the Boston Celtics, 4-1.
He became the Denver Nuggets' top assistant in the 2025 offseason. Denver finished with a 54-28 record this past season, and the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs, 4-2.
Dudley spent one season with Brooklyn, where he averaged 20.7 minutes a game; it was his last season earning over 15 minutes of playing time. He averaged 4.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists during the 2018-2019 season.
Although he played one year with the Nets, he had some famous moments during the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. Dudley called Ben Simmons "average" in the half-court and fought Jimmy Butler in defense of Jarrett Allen.
The former Net now has a chance at becoming a head coach in the NBA after spending five seasons as an assistant coach. His ascension is a testament to his leadership and respect in the league.
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