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Schultz: Blazers Have Expressed Interest In Mike D’Antoni

ESPN’s Jordan Schultz says the Blazers have interest in Mike D’Antoni who is free to interview for vacant coaching roles.

Houston Rockets v Portland Trail Blazers Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

The Portland Trail Blazers have shown interest in Brooklyn Nets Assistant Coach Mike D’Antoni to replace recently-fired Terry Stotts, according to ESPN’s Jordan Schultz.

Schultz added that the Nets will grant the Blazers, Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic interview requests for D’Antoni to fill their respective vacant coaching jobs.

The Blazers are yet to announce any targets to fill their Head Coaching job. President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey claimed yesterday that the team had not reached out to any candidates.

“There was no list getting released ... we don’t even have a list yet.”

“We have not reached out to a single candidate yet, not one. We haven’t reached out to a team to express interest or ask permission.”

The offensively minded D’Antoni was initially suggested as one of Portland’s candidates by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski an hour after Stotts and the team officially parted ways last Friday.

The 70-year-old D’Antoni’s last head coaching position was with the Houston Rockets. He left that position at the end of the 2019-20 season. He has also led the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets.

D’Antoni is no stranger to Portland, spending the 2000-01 season with the Blazers as an assistant coach under Mike Dunleavy, Sr.