New NBA Rumors on Blazers' Desire to Spend 'Modestly' on HC Contract Despite Playoff Run

The Portland Trail Blazers won't be breaking the bank as they conduct their coaching search, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.

Fischer reported Saturday that new team owner Tom Dundon is aiming to spend $1.5 million annually on the next coach, which is below the market value for the lead voice on an NBA bench.

"From $1 million to $1.5 million is actually the price range for the league's top assistant coaches, but Portland's desire to spend so modestly on a full-time replacement for [Chauncey] Billups has been widely communicated and figures to have a significant impact on the process no matter how attractive an NBA head coaching position — there's only 30 in the world and all that — looks on paper," Fischer wrote.

He also questioned whether decorated college coaches would be willing to come to Portland when they can make more from their current job.

Bill Oram of the Oregonian first reported on this Tuesday, writing that Dundon "wants to pay in the range of $1 million a year, about a quarter of the market rate." Oram added that some around the NBA are already beginning to describe the Blazers as "cheap" in terms of how they're approaching their coaching situation.

This is quickly becoming a bigger theme.

Portland won't be providing fans with playoff-themed shirts for Games 3 and 4 against the San Antonio Spurs. It's generally a given that a team will hand out complimentary T-shirts in an effort to create the best postseason atmosphere.

Behind the scenes, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reported multiple Blazers staffers were told to check out of the team hotel hours before their bus would transport them to Mortgage Matchup Center for the play-in game against the Phoenix Suns. The organization wanted to avoid paying for late checkouts in some cases.

"Dundon has expressed sticker shock at some of the costs associated with running an NBA team, sources familiar with the Blazers owner tell Sports Illustrated," Mannix said.

It's one thing to cut back in areas that don't directly affect the Blazers on the court.

But the head coach is an important role. Dundon is only hamstringing the franchise if he's bypassing worthy candidates for purely financial reasons.

For fans, this is a worrying way for the new ownership regime to kick things off.