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The Portland Trail Blazers coaching search immediately made headlines this off-season, as new owner Tom Dundon wanted to hire the cheapest head coach in the NBA. While it’s unclear how much salary the organization is willing to pay, targets are emerging in the search.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, assistant NBA coaches Jared Dudley, Micah Nouri and Steve Hetzel are among the coaching candidates in whom Portland has interest. Portland-based reporter Sean Heikin also recently revealed that assistant Greg St. Jean is another target.

RELATED: Examples of Cheapness from Trail Blazers Owner Tom Dundon

Dudley is definitely the most familiar name to NBA fans. The 40-year-old former NBA champion played with seven different franchises from 2007-2021 before becoming an assistant coach after his retirement. After a few years on the Dallas Mavericks coaching staff (2021-25), he joined the Denver Nuggets coaching staff last season to work under David Edelman.

Nouri, age 52, has long been viewed as one of the top rising NBA coaching candidates. He began his coaching career with the Toronto Raptors (2009–13) and had stints with the Sacramento Kings (2013–15), Denver Nuggets (2015–18) and Detroit Pistons (2018–21), and he has been with the Minnesota Timberwolves since 2021 as a lead assistant.

Hetzel has been in the coaching ranks for more than a decade. He joined the Detroit Pistons in 2009 as a player development coach and has served as an assistant on NBA staffs with the Charlotte Hornets (2014–18), Orlando Magic (2018–21), Portland (2021–24), and he has worked with the Brooklyn Nets since 2024.

St. Jean began his career as a video coordinator with the Kings, working his way up to player development assistant (2014–15), then working with St. John’s and then the Los Angeles Lakers (2019–21, 2024–present), Mavericks (2021–23), and Suns (2023–24).

Notably, none of these targets in the Trail Blazers coaching search have head-coaching experience in the NBA. Although his salary has not been disclosed, it may reportedly be only a slight increase from the range Portland wanted to set for its next head coach ($1-2 million). Also, if other teams are also interested, it is more likely that other clubs will be willing to offer more money.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

According to Fightful Select, Jessie Jayne is influencing creative changes on WWE SmackDown.

Several people involved in the creative process have begun rearranging plans in the women’s division to feature Jane more prominently, inspired by crowd reactions to Fatal Influence since her arrival to the group’s main roster last month.

Fatal Influence made her SmackDown debut on April 24, interrupting the match of Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair. Later that night, Jayne faced WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, losing by disqualification after stablemates Fallon Henley and Lanny Reed attacked Ripley during the match.

The group has wasted no time in establishing themselves at the top of the SmackDown women’s division, with Jayne’s history giving WWE a lot to work with. She is a two-time former NXT Women’s Champion, having won the title for the first time by defeating Stephanie Wacker in May 2025 and holding it for 151 days before losing it to Tatum Paxley at NXT Halloween Havoc. She regained the title at Gold Rush in November 2025 and held it for the next 137 days before dropping it to Lola Vice at NXT Stand & Deliver in a triple threat also involving Kendall Grey.

Jayne also has the honor of being the first wrestler to hold championships in both WWE and TNA simultaneously. She won the TNA Knockouts World Championship in a winner-take-all match against Masha Slamovich at TNA Slammiversary in July 2025 while still NXT Women’s Champion, although she lost the TNA title 36 days later at NXT Heatwave.

The Sacramento Kings were one of the few teams linked to NBA trade rumors in February with genuine interest in acquiring All-Star point guard Ja Morant. Months later, new information has shed light on why the deal fell through.

According to ESPN’s Tim McMahon and Michael C. Wright, the Kings were one of a select few teams involved in talks with Memphis before the NBA trade deadline. However, Sacramento wanted Memphis to include a first-round pick in any deal.

RELATED: Russell Westbrook Addresses Future With Sacramento Kings

• Yes Morant contract (Spotrac): $42.166 million cap hit (2026-27), $44.886 million cap hit (2027-28)

In the past, the Kings were widely viewed as a team likely to make a questionable deal to acquire an All-Star player. The most recent example of this came in the De’Aaron Fox trade, when they took less future assets to acquire Zach LaVine in a three-team deal with the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls.

However, under general manager Scott Perry, it appears that the franchise is no longer willing to make such deals. It appears that Sacramento has legitimate interest in acquiring Morant, hoping a change of scenery will revitalize the All-Star point guard’s career. Apparently, based on this reporting, Sacramento wanted to be compensated by Memphis for taking over Morant’s contract and the injury and off-the-court risks that come with it.

“There will be teams that feel like they didn’t get what they wanted in the draft or free agency, and that’s when something might happen for Ja.”

Unknown Western Conference executive to ESPN on Ja Morant trade market this summer

Unsurprisingly, Morant’s trade value has declined in recent years. However, there is expected to be more interest in him this summer, with teams feeling more confident that they can add him to the team throughout the offseason rather than in a mid-season trade.

It’s also possible that Sacramento may no longer be one of those contenders. If the Kings land in the four to six range of the 2026 NBA Draft, they could take either Houston point guard Kingston Flemings or Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr. In any case, the team will likely re-sign Russell Westbrook as a veteran mentor and have no need for Morant.

On the other hand, if Sacramento moves up in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery and acquires a wing like AJ DiBuntsa or Caleb Wilson, or potentially forward Cameron Boozer, there could be an even bigger incentive to acquire Morant for the next two seasons.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

New details have emerged regarding the DUI arrest of Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks, who was taken into custody Friday morning after attending the team’s game against the Chicago Bulls.

According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix, Brooks was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence shortly after the Suns’ 105–103 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Gambadoro shared an update Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter, and said the incident was not alcohol related.

“From a source – Dillon Brooks was arrested on suspicion of DUI last night after the game. It was not alcohol related but I’m told it was marijuana. He was released without charges. Brooks was asked to blow into a portable breathalyzer and he blew 0, showing no alcohol in his system. Like alcohol, marijuana also debilitates you and impairs your fine motor functions and ability to drive a motor vehicle. Affects.”

TMZ Sports reports that the incident happened around 2:00 a.m. Friday in Scottsdale, Arizona. Brooks was released about an hour later, at about 3:20 p.m. The report said Brooks was “respectful and cooperative” during conversations with authorities before his release. TMZ Sports also published Brooks’ mugshot after his arrest.

Brooks participated in Thursday’s game wearing a black brace on his right hand as he recovers from a broken hand. The veteran forward has not played since the Suns’ 113-110 double-overtime win over the Orlando Magic on Feb. 21.

In that game, Brooks logged seven minutes before being forced out due to injury. He finished with five points and three rebounds while shooting 2-for-7 from the field.

The Suns announced on February 23 that Brooks would be reevaluated in four to six weeks as his recovery progressed.

Suns acknowledge Dillon Brooks DUI situation as new details emerge

Phoenix acknowledged the situation Friday but declined to provide additional comment.

“We are aware of the situation involving Dillon Brooks and are gathering more information. We have no further comment at this time,” the Suns said in a statement reported by AZCentral’s Duane Rankin.

The 30-year-old has been one of Phoenix’s most impactful players this season after arriving in the historic multi-team trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. Brooks quickly emerged as a central part of the Suns’ new identity, providing scoring, defensive intensity and leadership on the wing.

Through 50 games this season, Brooks has averaged a career-high 20.9 points along with 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and one steal per game. He is shooting 44% from the field, 34.3% from three-point range, and a career-best 85.6% from the free-throw line, while averaging 30.6 minutes per contest.

Phoenix entered Friday with a 35-27 record as it continues its push for a playoff position in the Western Conference. Despite the off-court situation involving Brooks, the team is focused on its upcoming schedule.

The Suns are set to face the New Orleans Pelicans (20-44) on Friday night at 6:00 pm PT as they look to maintain momentum during the second half of the season while waiting for further clarity on Brooks’ recovery timeline.

The Baltimore Ravens have attempted to bring in some fairly high-profile receivers to catch passes from two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. Still, a strong case can be made that Odell Beckham Jr. and De’Andre Hopkins were past their prime by the time they arrived in Baltimore.

Now, the Ravens may be closing in on a trade for the three-time Pro Bowl receiver who has been a major part of their team’s overall success, including a Super Bowl win in 2024.

According to Jeff McClain philadelphia enquirerThe Ravens have emerged as a “potential” trade suitor for AJ Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles. But the Ravens are not alone. McClain suggests the New England Patriots, who are led by Mike Vrabel, the Browns’ former head coach at Tennessee, are another “potential” suitor.

Brown has recorded 1,000-yard seasons in six of seven seasons since being drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft as the 51st overall pick. After three seasons he was traded from Tennessee to Philadelphia when the Titans would not commit to the type of long-term contract Brown wanted.

When Brown was 24, he was traded for first- and third-round selections. Now 28 years old, still established, we’ll see what the business costs this time. Even if he has been dealt with, teams are certainly trying.

RELATED: Baltimore Ravens’ Pro Bowler may be ‘gone for good’

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ