After the Chicago Bulls hired Tiago Splitter, the list of candidates for the Portland Trail Blazers’ coaching opening has narrowed. However, it seems Tom Dundon’s plans could lead to a more expansive search, with a new candidate potentially leading Portland’s system.<\/p>\n
It seems the new ownership group was never truly the best fit for Splitter. Starting the Blazers’ coach search during the playoffs was already a red flag, but it seems Dundon did not want to adhere to Splitter’s salary demands. Now, they still have Micah Nori of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Tyler Lashbrook of the Boston Celtics as candidates for the job<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, it seems that there could be another addition to the list. The New York Knicks are fresh off a championship with Mike Brown as the head coach. Despite being at the helm, Brown has said that he wants more people to credit his staff, especially his associate head coach, Chris Jent, who has surprisingly become a candidate for the Blazers.<\/p>\n Before the 2025-26 season, the Knicks’ hiring of Jent as Brown’s lead assistant was huge for their offense<\/a>. It seems he had a profound impact on the team, as Brown has been nothing but complimentary toward his standout staff member.<\/p>\n In fact, Brown even made a case for teams to interview Jent for one of the league’s head-coaching openings. Now, it seems Dundon’s plans align with those comments, since Jent became a candidate. He could be the key to unlocking Portland’s system if he does pass the test.<\/p>\n Mike Brown: \u201cI\u2019m scared to death that one of these teams are poach one of my guys. I\u2019m surprised nobody\u2019s come at Chris Jent for a head job yet. He\u2019s won Summer League, been a lead assistant here.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/NxpiGIU33f<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/lTcISyCOUT<\/a><\/p>\n — Blazers Lead (@BlazersLead) June 18, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nJent Has The Pedigree To Become The Blazers’ Coach<\/h3>\n
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