The Portland Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls are in direct competition with each other during the final stages of their respective head coaching searches, according to separate reports from long-time Blazers reporter Dwight Jaynes and The Stein Line contributor Jake Fischer (subscriptions required for both). Both writers reported that Blazers acting head coach Tiago Splitter and Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori — who are reportedly among three finalists for the Blazers head coaching position
— are also among the finalists for the Chicago job.
Here’s Fischer on the situation in the latest edition of The Stein Line:
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. Trail Blazers acting coach Tiago Splitter, Hawks assistant coach Ryan Schmidt and Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori are among the Chicago finalists, sources say.
Nori and Splitter are also finalists in Portland’s ongoing search for a full-time successor to Chauncey Billups along with Boston’s Tyler Lashbrook…
Fischer reported current Chicago assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. is also under consideration for the Bulls head coaching job. Additionally, Fischer explained why the Blazers’ head coaching search may be taking so long.
[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.
Dundon is also the owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes. On Tuesday night, the franchise evened up its series against the Las Vegas Golden Knights at 2-2 in the Stanley Cup Final. If the series goes a full seven games, it won’t conclude until Wednesday, June 17.
