Blazers' owner Paul Allen is reportedly looking for a coach with a lot of experience and a reputation for being a teacher of the game of basketbal.

One name that comes to mind is Flip Saunders, who was interviewed for the Blazers' post several years ago.

"You have to have somebody who'll be teaching and bringing those guys along and developing, someone who has a record of being able to do that," Allen said. "Flip Saunders, if he becomes available. I interviewed him during our previous search, but he decided to go back to Minnesota."

He is also interested in Phil Jackson, but he doesn't expect to sign the former Lakers and Bulls coach, since Jackson has a reputation for going to teams that are close to a championship and also Allen expects Jackson to command a large payday.

Allen used to have one of the biggest payrolls in the NBA, but he has stated that the days of free spending are over in Portland.