Trail Blazers Had Unexpected Head Coach Candidate Before Hiring Micah Nori

Portland Trail Blazers fans got a glimpse of just how wide-ranging the franchise's coaching search was during the 2026 offseason. The Blazers ultimately landed on Micah Nori to fill their head coaching vacancy, but apparently, the organization considered a much more unconventional candidate before making that decision. According to ESPN's Olgun Uluc, Portland interviewed South East Melbourne Phoenix Head Coach Josh King of Australia's NBL and viewed him as a legitimate candidate for the position.

Uluc revealed the news during a recent episode of ESPN's The Hoop Collective recorded in Australia, explaining just how seriously Portland considered King, "I was told that over the off-season, when the Portland Trail Blazers had a vacant head coach position, they interviewed Josh King," Uluc said. "Josh King had a 90-minute Zoom interview with Tom Dundon, the new owner of the Portland Trail Blazers. And my understanding was that in that search they cast a wide net. He sat for a very real interview with the owner of the Portland Trail Blazers as a legitimate potential candidate for their head coach position."

A 90-minute interview directly with Dundon certainly suggests King was more than a name casually thrown into the mix. Portland's new ownership group clearly wanted to explore a wide variety of candidates before settling on Nori, and King apparently made enough of an impression to receive a significant opportunity.

King's candidacy is particularly interesting because of his current position in the National Basketball League. He is the head coach of the South East Melbourne Phoenix, where he has established himself as one of the more respected coaching figures in the NBL. ESPN's report also highlights the growing interest NBA teams have in the coaching talent coming out of Australia.

While King did not ultimately get the job, the interview provides another interesting look at how Portland approached its first major coaching decision under Dundon's ownership. The search was clearly not limited to the usual NBA assistant coaches and established names.

That makes King's candidacy worth remembering. Had the Blazers gone in a different direction, Portland could have entered the 2026-27 season with an NBL head coach leading the franchise. Instead, the organization chose Nori, but King's 90-minute conversation with Dundon shows he was genuinely in the mix.

For Portland, the search itself could prove to be important as the franchise continues to shape its identity under new ownership. The fact that King received such serious consideration also shows the Blazers were willing to think outside the box when searching for the person they believed could lead the team into its next era.