The Dallas Mavericks are hiring Dusty May as their next head coach, stealing him away from the University of Michigan following an NCAA national championship. This surprising development could benefit the Portland Trail Blazers in particular, considering Dallas was their direct competition in their coaching search.
There was overlap in Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant coach Micah Nori, who was a finalist for both the Blazers and Mavericks positions. That presented a challenge for Portland as Dallas has a compelling pitch to join forces with Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg, as well as whoever else they add with the No. 9 overall draft pick on Tuesday.
It swings the door wide open for Portland to hire Nori, who should be considered their top option.
Blazers now have a clear path to hiring Micah Nori
The Blazers have a few other finalists still very much in the running, including Boston Celtics' Tyler Lashbrook and, more recently, New York Knicks' Chris Jent. Acting head coach Tiago Splitter was also a finalist before he ultimately accepted to become the next head coach of the Chicago Bulls -- an understandable decision given Portland's rumored low-ball offers and the fact that they started searching for his potential replacement when Splitter had this team back in the postseason.
It was a somewhat messy interview process for Portland. They initially cast a wide net of options, which was narrowed down to three confirmed finalists: Splitter, Nori, and Lashbrook. Then that process was put on hold as Tom Dundon's Carolina Hurricanes made a run to the Stanley Cup, ultimately defeating the Vegas Golden Knights.
That development put Portland at a disadvantage in its search. With other teams already deciding on their next head coach, it felt as though the Blazers were missing out on top options in the coaching carousel. Instead of wandering around the carousel to try to find the cool unicorn, they were going to be left with the only available seat.
With Splitter leaving for Chicago and Dallas a serious threat to steal Nori away, there was a legitimate scenario in which the Blazers were left with Lashbrook as their only finalist. Perhaps that played a factor in their decision to add Jent into mix.
Regardless, the Blazers likely no longer have to worry about that worst-case scenario with May taking a leap to the NBA. Fortunately, their messy interview process hasn't cost them an ideal candidate, as Nori remains very much in play.
With Dallas no longer in the hunt, Nori becoming the Blazers' next head coach is increasingly likely. While it wouldn't be surprising if they went with Jent or Lashbrook, the experienced Minnesota assistant is the one they should want.
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