Trail Blazers Have Direct Competition for Head Coaching Candidates

The Portland Trail Blazers still remain as one of the final three NBA head coaching vacancies, keeping company with the Mavericks and Bulls. It appears that the Blazers have competition for two of the reported finalists for their head coaching job.

"The Bulls, league sources say, have begun bringing select candidates to Chicago for in-person interviews this week following the team’s array of virtual meetings in search of the successor to Billy Donovan as head coach," writes The Stein Line reporter Jake Fischer. Trail Blazers acting coach Tiago Splitter, Hawks assistant coach Ryan Schmidt, and Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori are among the Chicago finalists, sources say."

The Blazers seem to be set up for more immediate success than Chicago. Donovan Clingan and Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson, and Shaedon Sharpe have shown promise as a young core, and the team is hoping to welcome Damian Lillard back from injury. There is no secret that the Blazers have been at the forefront of trade rumors for superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown. Could the Blazers make a big splash in the trade market to help attract their preferred coaching candidate?

The Bulls are selecting fourth with their own pick and have rights to Portland's original first-round pick at number 15. Perhaps the draft capital could be enticing for coaching candidates, but the Bulls have not seen draft success in quite some time. No Chicago draft pick has become an All-Star since they picked Jimmy Butler 30th overall in 2011. Still, Chicago is a storied franchise with a rich history and should be considered a serious threat in competing for head coaching candidates. Perhaps the Blazers could make the first move in landing their next coach, but it may not be that simple.

Interestingly enough, Jake Fischer reported (subscription required) that the NHL Finals could actually be delaying the Blazers' coaching decision. "[The Blazers coaching search] process has been slowed somewhat by new Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon’s involvement with the Carolina Hurricanes and their Stanley Cup Final run. The Hurricanes are currently tied 2-2 in their best-of-seven series with the Vegas Golden Knights, and their season wouldn't conclude until Wednesday, June 17, if the series goes the distance. Maybe Blazers fans should start supporting Vegas to, perhaps, expedite the coaching search process? Regardless, Tiago Splitter and Micah Nori are excellent coaching candidates, but the Blazers may need to move sooner rather than later to land their top choice.