Before the Los Angeles Lakers can hit the market this summer, they may have to protect their own. Fresh off a playoff appearance, the Portland Trail Blazers are rebuilding. And rumors are that they could land this Los Angeles assistant coach, who is close to Luka Dončić, as their new head coach.

Under JJ Redick, Greg St. Jean serves his fifth year as an assistant coach. Although he himself has never been at the helm, his father, Garry St. Jean, served as head coach for the Sacramento Kings for five seasons. Coaches rate Greg St. Jean highly for his play calls because of his extensive experience as an assistant.

JJ Redick recently credited him for drawing up the play that helped Luke Kennard win the game against the Orlando Magic. Greg St. Jean has also closely worked with Dončić, overseeing his development across multiple organizations. He was with Dončić on the Mavericks and even joined the Slovenian national team during EuroBasket 2025.

However, Portland reportedly wants to change its head coach. Chauncey Billups is out after being arrested in a gambling probe, and the team doesn’t see Tiago Splitter as a long-term choice. According to Marc Stein, Greg St. Jean is among the potential candidates in the running alongside Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori and Nuggets assistant Jared Dudley.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches, with a selection to the organization’s 30-under-30 list, recognised Greg St. Jean while serving as an assistant for St. John’s. He’s now got ample experience as an assistant coach. If ready for a bigger role, Jean could be an attractive choice for the Trail Blazers, especially for his offensive play calls.

Portland Trail Blazers players could help Luka Dončić

Dončić’s close confidante could end up staying with the Lakers. There’s a slim chance, but one that could emotionally sway Portland’s search. Tiago Splitter did an amazing job with the drama and negative spotlight surrounding the team. In his first stint as head coach, the former Spurs champion led the Trail Blazers to the playoffs.

Splitter finished the season with a 42-39 record, guiding a young Portland team into the postseason. And he did all that with Damian Lillard sidelined for the entire season. Splitter trusted Deni Avdija to lead the way, and the Trail Blazers had their first All-Star since Dame Dolla.

Internally, Avdija heaped massive praise on Splitter for taking a difficult situation and turning it into such a positive season for the franchise.

“I think he’s done phenomenal. He’s getting the best out of everybody. He’s believing in each single one of his players. We love playing for him. He’s a winner, he’s a competitor, he knows how it is to win a championship. And you can see that he’s passionate and he got all the tools to be a great coach,” Avdija said after a Game 2 win over the Spurs.

With Lillard back in the mix with an already flourishing core of veterans, Splitter could lead the team into a new dawn. He’s proven it once. And with a better set of players, imagine what he could do?