Blazers weighing at least three candidates after broadcaster firing

The Trail Blazers are still looking for a television play-by-play announcer, and three familiar names are said to be in the mix.

Chris Miles, Kyle Draper and Matt Winer are among those still under consideration, according to longtime Portland sportswriter and broadcaster Dwight Jaynes.

“League sources tell me there are at least three people still in the running,” Jaynes wrote on X, identifying Miles with NBA TV, Draper with the Kings and Winer with the Hawks.

The search continues after Portland hired and fired Braiden Bell on the same day last week, following the emergence of offensive social media posts he wrote as a teenager.

Bell has since hired legal counsel and requested reinstatement. The Blazers have given no indication they intend to reverse their decision.

“We stand by our statement issued last week and have no further comment at this time,” the team said in a statement reported by The Athletic’s Jason Quick. “We wish Mr. Bell the best.”

Bell’s attorney, Arnie Herz, has argued that the organization should consider who Bell has become in the years since those posts. He also asked that backlash directed at the reporters who uncovered them stop.

Meanwhile, Portland still has a broadcast booth to fill. Jaynes’ report offers some direction, though he did not identify a favorite or a timetable for a decision.

Either way, the Blazers would surely welcome a little less drama with their next announcement.