The mystery surrounding the Portland Trail Blazers’ clouded, shrouded search for their next head coach doesn’t appear to be lifting soon. Reports have new Blazers owner Tom Dundon canvassing dozens of potential candidates while at the same time offering to pay an amount more suited to a decent assistant coach than a locker room maestro in 2026.
One of the more obvious sources for candidates willing to work under those conditions is the large pool of NBA assistant coaches. If Portland is lucky, one
of them might figure that a chance to prove themselves in the lead seat might be worth the risk even if the salary increase is modest.
Indeed, NBA writer Jake Fischer suggests two potential persons of interest for the Blazers in his latest Substack release [subscription required]. The names are Steve Hetzel, an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets, and Denver Nuggets assistant coach Jared Dudley.
Fischer points out Hetzel has connections with the Blazers and veteran guard Damian Lillard:
League sources say Hetzel (as well as Denver assistant Jared Dudley) is expected to draw interest from Portland if he does not get the New Orleans job. Hetzel spent three seasons with the Blazers before joining the Nets. And two of those seasons overlapped with Damian Lillard, who is very much poised to return to a prominent role with the organization. Sources say Lillard has indeed lobbed in some suggestions for the coaching search.
We’ll see if more candidates emerge as the process continues.
