It looks like Denver Nuggets assistant coach Jared Dudley might be falling out of favor for the Portland Trail Blazers' head coaching opening.According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Blazers' head coaching search has been narrowed down to three frontrunners for the job: Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, LA Clippers assistant Jeff Van Gundy, and their interim coach from this past season, Tiago Splitter.Minnesota's Micah Nori is also a finalist for the Portland coaching vacancy, @TheSteinLine has learned.Nori, Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter and LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy are the known finalists. https://t.co/Aykpn7JEBL— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 22, 2026That's a pool of candidates that obviously doesn't include Dudley, who was among those to have interviewed for the Blazers position earlier this offseason, yet isn't among the select few frontrunners in the mix.Inevitably, it could lead to Dudley finding his way back to Denver for another season, barring any other teams around the league looking at the Nuggets assistant as a potential candidate.Jared Dudley Returning to Denver?It'd be a big lift for the Nuggets to retain their top assistant from last season's staff in order to retain some sense of continuity for head coach David Adelman in his second full year at the helm.Dudley reportedly was to be in the mix for two head coach openings across the league at the end of the season, including both the Blazers and the New Orleans Pelicans having some intrigue in the Nuggets' assistant.But in the weeks following, the Pelicans would scoop up their ultimate choice for their next head coach, former Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, while the Blazers now seem to be honing in on their top three options themselves.That inevitably leaves Dudley as the odd man out, and could be out of luck for this year's coaching cycle.Dec 23, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Denver Nuggets assistant coach Jared Dudley (left) Denver Nuggets assistant coach JJ Barea (center) look on from the team bench during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesDudley joined the Nuggets before the 2025-26 campaign as one of the hotter assistant names across the league.Following his 13-year NBA career, Dudley first got his start in coaching on the Dallas Mavericks' bench as a high-ranked assistant, where he would spend the first four years of his time coaching before eventually transitioning to Denver.And honestly, that Dallas fit could very well be one worth circling back to.Considering the Mavericks had just parted ways with their tenured head coach, Jason Kidd, they'll be the next team on the market scavenging for their next name to take his role.Dudley's past history with that staff certainly does draw a bit of attention, possibly giving him at least a long look from the Dallas decision-makers to be a coaching candidate in the mix, but nothing has materialized on that end just yet.If any of the teams currently competing in the conference finals happen to make a coaching change after the results of their series—the Cleveland Cavaliers specifically—perhaps Dudley could be among the short list of candidates over there as well, if that team is a fan of what he brings to the table.But for now, Dudley likely has a home in Denver for as long as he wants it, and will be a key piece on their coaching staff this coming season as the Nuggets attempt to bounce back from an ugly end to their 2025-26 campaign.Sign up for our free Denver Nuggets On SI newsletter, and get breaking Nuggets news delivered to your inbox daily!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow