:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63898090/85318755.jpg.0.jpg)
Former Trail Blazers assistant coach Monty Williams is looking at a pair of former Portland players to fill his Suns staff. According to The New York Times’ Marc Stein, Steve Blake and Mark Bryant are on Williams’ radar.
In Phoenix, meanwhile, Steve Blake (Blazers staff), Randy Ayres (Nets scout) and Mark Bryant (Thunder bench) have all emerged as top contenders to land on Monty Williams' coaching staff
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 24, 2019
Blake turned into a folk hero for his back-and-forth career with the Blazers. Now retired, Blake works on Terry Stotts’ staff as a coaching intern and made an appearance in the end-of-season team photo. Williams served on Nate McMillan’s coaching staff during one of Blake’s multiple stops in Portland as a player.
Blake joins Nate Tibbetts and David Vanterpool as members of the coaching staff garnering interest from outside teams.
Bryant played seven seasons in Portland after being selected by the Blazers with the No. 21 pick in the 1988 NBA Draft. Starting with the Sonics, Bryant has been part of the Thunder’s staff for over a decade.