New NBA Rumors on Knicks Coach Linked to Blazers' HC Search After Finals Run

While the Portland Trail Blazers' coaching search is down to the finalist stage, another name could be entering the fray.

The Rose Garden Report's Sean Highkin and The Stein Line's Jake Fischer reported the Blazers are showing interest in New York Knicks assistant Chris Jent.

With Tiago Splitter opting to take the Chicago Bulls' job, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori and Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook became the two names on the board for Portland.

It doesn't appear that Jent was seriously on the Blazers' radar until now. Sure, the Knicks were in the midst of a championship run, but assistants employed with playoff teams aren't precluded from exploring outside opportunities.

Getting this far into the process and considering another candidate would add to a search that has diverged from the norm a bit.

Jent has made a number of stops across his coaching career but has yet to get the top job aside from a stop with the Bakersfield Jam in the old NBA D-League. The 56-year-old first made a real name for himself when he helped develop LeBron James' game while on the Cleveland Cavaliers' bench.

Basking in the Knicks' Finals win, New York coach Mike Brown made sure to shout out Jent and said he merited consideration for a promotion elsewhere:

Barring an unforeseen turn, only two vacancies remain in the NBA coaching carousel. Along with the Blazers, the Dallas Mavericks are looking for a replacement for Jason Kidd after he got the boot in May.

If Jent can't sufficiently impress Portland — he has some serious ground to make up — he could be headed for another season in a lead assistant role.