CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers might not be interested in Rick Pitino.
But the team's coaching search is only picking up steam.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cleveland Cavaliers have received permission to interview Portland Trail Blazers assistants Nate Tibbetts and David Vanterpool.
Both considered rising assistants in the league, Tibbetts and Vanterpool each fit the profile of the type of coach Cleveland is looking to hire in its current coaching search. It also helps that the Trail Blazers have established themselves as one of the NBA's most consistent teams, having made the playoffs in each of the past six years and currently hold a 3-1 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the ongoing first round.
Having coached in Portland for the past six seasons, Tibbetts is no stranger to Cleveland, where he served as an assistant under Bryon Scott from 2011-13. Last year, the 41-year-old was considered a finalist for the Atlanta Hawks head coaching vacancy, which was ultimately filled by Lloyd Pierce.
Vanterpool, meanwhile, has been with the Blazers since 2012 after spending five years as an assistant with CSKA Moscow. The 46-year-old enjoyed a lengthy career playing as a swingman overseas and appeared in 22 games with the Washington Wizards in 2001.
In addition to the Cavs, Vanterpool has been linked to the Phoenix Suns' current head coaching opening. He and Tibbetts are the third and fourth coaches to reportedly interview with Cleveland, joining Miami Heat assistant Juwan Howard and Dallas Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley.
"We want to make sure we get this right," Cavs GM Koby Altman said. "We also want to make sure we get to know these candidates really really well, flush this thing out and I hate to keep using this word, but make sure it's the right fit.
"Make sure it's the right fit for our front office, for our players, for our fanbase. We want availability, grinding -- all that kind of stuff. We want to make sure that's the right fit and for that person, that we're the right fit for them too."
