Portland’s coaching search stalls as Chicago hires Splitter

Portland Trail Blazers are set to appoint their third coach in three seasons after Tiago Splitter finalized terms to become Chicago’s head coach, a move that is expected to speed up Portland’s own search. The team’s ownership is now under sharper scrutiny after owner Tom Dundon’s hockey club won the NHL championship on Monday, apparently shifting his focus entirely to the Blazers.

At this stage, Portland has two main candidates, Tyler Lashbrook, described as Boston’s anonymous assistant coach, and Micah Nori, who is considered the frontrunner. But reports in the United States say Dundon has not yet met any of the candidates in person. According to the reporting, “everything revolved around his hockey team’s race for the title,” and even when general manager Joe Cronin flew to Las Vegas to meet him, Dundon did not show up. “Portland’s business has been frozen, nothing is happening there,” one source said. “Chicago took advantage of the fact that Portland was asleep at the wheel and stole Splitter from under their nose. They were prepared to pay much more.”

The Oregon Live site also criticized Portland’s decision to let Splitter go, arguing that if he was not the right fit, then it is unclear who would be. The outlet noted that he was given the chance to continue and that under him, Deni Avdija became an All-Star. It added that Dundon seems unconcerned about the noise and is trying to impose his own methods against NBA norms, giving the impression that Portland does not value coaches.

Portland also faces roster uncertainty. Robert Williams and Mathias Thybulle, two of its notable playoff players, are out of contract and are set to become free agents. The team can officially begin talks on new deals, but is likely to wait until a coach is hired first. Portland does not currently own a first-round draft pick and could enter the July 1 free-agent market without a head coach.