I've also heard that the Trail Blazers have already …

From $1 million to $1. 5 million is actually the price range for the league's top assistant coaches, but Portland's desire to spend so modestly on a full-time replacement for Billups has been widely communicated and figures to have a significant impact on the process no matter how attractive an NBA head coaching position — there's only 30 in the world and all that — looks on paper. I've also heard that the Trail Blazers have already held some level of exploratory dialogue with roughly 20 college and international coaches to this point to discuss the post.