Tiago Splitter is set to become the next head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Considering he was one of just three finalists for the Trail Blazers head coaching position, that's a major loss for Portland.
No matter your stance on Splitter and whether you would've preferred him to remain in Portland with a more permanent position or not, it's a bad process in general to lose one of your finalists before getting to make the decision yourself.
It's just the latest of a long list of mistakes new owner Tom Dundon has made since taking over the Blazers.
The Blazers are fumbling their coaching search
Portland is behind in the coaching search after having to put its interview process on hold when Dundon's Carolina Hurricanes made the Stanley Cup Finals. Now, the two remaining finalists for the position appear to be Minnesota's Micah Nori and Boston's Tyler Lashbrook.
Regardless of who Portland decides on at this point, fans are left wondering whether this was truly the front office's top choice all along or if they were forced to settle for whoever was left.
It's a counterproductive approach to be interviewing candidates for the position when Tiago Splitter had this Blazers team back in the postseason. It was not only a poor way to make Splitter feel wanted, but it also rubbed other potential candidates the wrong way, with veterans like Michael Malone and Tom Thibodeau declining the request as a result.
The only benefit is to get ahead of the coaching search around the league in terms of having their first choice of available candidates. That has officially gone out the window.
Blazers can't afford to also lose Micah Nori to the Mavericks
The interview process is picking back up with Dundon's Hurricanes winning the Stanley Cup, but it may be too little too late. If the preferred candidate is Nori, Portland needs to learn from its mistakes with Splitter and act with greater urgency.
Nori is also a finalist for the Dallas Mavericks' head coaching position, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. It wouldn't be surprising if Nori is intrigued to join forces with Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg in Dallas. It could even come down to a bidding war to see which franchise will offer Nori the most money. That should concern Blazers fans, considering Dundon's controversial cost-cutting measures and rumored low-ball offers.
There's a scenario in which Portland is stuck with Lashbrook as their only remaining finalist because they either weren't quick enough or didn't offer enough. While we'd like to give Dundon the benefit of the doubt after seeing his Hurricanes win the Finals, it's hard to see what the plan is here.
Portland isn't being made a priority, and it's making the candidates feel like they aren't, either.
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