Portland targets rising talent by interviewing the respected Nuggets assistant, leveraging his reputation for player relationships and championship experience to find a modern leader for their rebuilding roster.
On the heels of reports that Tiago Splitter likely will not be coaching the Portland Trail Blazers next season and beyond, the front office continues to cast a wide net in the pursuit of the next leader of the team.
And one candidate reportedly in the mix, according to NBA insider Michael Scotto, is Jared Dudley, as he continues to impress as an assistant coach and looks to work his way into the head coaching ranks around the league.
Dudley is currently the lead assistant for the Denver Nuggets and has really seen a quick ascension through coaching circles after a long NBA career, with the tail end of that career coming as more of a veteran leader as he refined those skills before transitioning into coaching.
And before Denver, he really made a name for himself as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks, where he developed a reputation as a coach with strong player relationships and just a really brilliant basketball mind. He’s been in conversations for head coaching jobs over the last several years, and this feels like an offseason in which he could finally get that level of promotion.
For the Blazers specifically, this is an indication that the search could be targeting more modernized coaches who may be diamonds in the rough because they haven’t yet had a chance to earn a head coaching opportunity, but have already proven themselves as premier assistants, which is exactly what Dudley is.
He’s had tremendous success both in Dallas and Denver, serving as a key voice on championship-level teams. And though he’s inexperienced from a head coaching standpoint, most NBA head coaches do start out lower on staffs and work their way up through the ranks.
If there’s a chance Dudley could be the next great rising NBA coach, this seems like the exact archetype of candidate the Blazers are pursuing. Dudley is an intriguing name because of his combination of playing experience, reputation, connection to players, and success everywhere he’s been.
So this is the latest development in Portland’s head coaching search. Jared Dudley is definitely a name to keep an eye on moving forward.