Portland Trail Blazers finally have a new head coach, as Shams Charania reported Tuesday that Minnesota assistant Micah Nori is leaving for Oregon to become the team’s new bench boss. The coaching change comes after Portland’s Giannis Antetokounmpo saga also ended with a trade to Miami, raising questions about the franchise’s next direction around Deni Avdija.
Those questions intensified after NBA reporter Jake Fischer said live that Anthony Davis could be headed to Portland, adding that the Blazers were “waiting with open arms” for the star. The comment drew immediate anger from Mike Richman, a journalist and Blazers fan who hosts the Locked On Blazers podcast.
Richman mocked the idea of pursuing Davis, saying, “Are they really looking to go after Davis? Eww, eww, and eww again.” He added that Davis is an excellent player and likely a Hall of Famer, but insisted the fit does not make sense. According to Richman, Davis is seeking a maximum-salary extension, and if the Wizards see a market for him they could be willing to put him on the market.
Richman said Davis, who is due about $58.5 million next season at age 33, has a $62.7 million player option for the following year. He noted Davis could decline that option and sign a maximum contract of up to four years, but said he does not want Portland to do it. “He would improve the team,” Richman said, “but my fear is the ‘new owner syndrome.’ This is simply a mistake.”
