Porter, Turner first two candidates to interview with Suns

Turns out, Mark Jackson wasn’t the first interviewee on Suns general manager Steve Kerr’s list. And no, it wasn’t Kurt Rambis either.

Morgan: Fate of Suns is now in Kerr’s hands

Sources: Jackson to talk with Suns

Kerr spent Thursday in Detroit with Pistons assistant coach and former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Terry Porter — a visit made possible when the Pistons advanced to the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday and earned themselves a few days off between series.

Porter and Jackson were joined by a third name when the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday that Kerr has been granted permission to speak with Rockets assistant Elston Turner for an interview next week.

Sources close to the 45-year-old Porter said he was thrilled to have the first crack at convincing Kerr he could replace Mike D’Antoni as Suns coach and “wants the position in the worst way.”

He is regarded as a sharp basketball man with an offensive lean, but one who demands respect and won’t tolerate defensive lapses.

Drafted by Portland out of tiny Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1985, Porter spent 17 years as a point guard in the NBA and was a teammate of Kerr’s for two seasons in San Antonio. He was an All-Star twice and reached the NBA Finals twice with Portland (1990, 1992).

Porter played for five of the top 24 coaches on the all-time wins list — Pat Riley (third), Jack Ramsay (10th), Rick Adelman (14th), Gregg Popovich (20th) and Flip Saunders (24th). He retired after the 2002-03 season having missed the playoffs only once.

Porter was an assistant in Sacramento under Adelman for one season before being named head coach of his hometown Milwaukee Bucks. Taking over a team that was picked to finish among the worst in the league, he led them to a 41-41 record and a playoff berth in 2003-04. It was the last time Milwaukee finished at least .500 in a season.

The next year, the Bucks lost guard T.J. Ford for the entire season with a spinal cord contusion and they sagged to only 30 wins.

Porter was fired, but was quickly snatched up by Saunders and the Pistons as an assistant.

Today the Suns will speak with Jackson in Los Angeles, where he makes his home. Jackson, currently a broadcaster for ESPN and ABC, was the runner-up to D’Antoni for the New York Knicks job last week.

Turner, 48, played in the NBA for eight years (1981-89) and has been an assistant coach for 11 years — the last seven with Adelman both in Sacramento and Houston. He has been the lead assistant the last three seasons.

“I’m excited,” Turner told the Chronicle. “I’m looking forward to it, very much looking forward to talking about (the job) and seeing of I’m the kind of guy they are looking for.”

Turner said he sees a lot of similarities between the Suns and Rockets and thinks he has the credentials Phoenix is looking for. Houston ranked second in opponents’ field goal percentage last season (.443), while the Suns were 13th (.456).

“Both teams had two of the biggest men in the league (Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming) and you have to put those guys where they can excel on both ends of the floor.

“They’re an up-tempo team and I’ve been with Sacramento and that’s what we’re trying to do here, as far as being up-tempo.

“We led the league in scoring a couple of years in Sacramento (with Mike Bibby and Chris Webber). They’re looking for more aggression, being more productive on the offensive end.”

NBA sources dismissed a blog by KCAL-TV reporter John Ireland in Los Angeles that had Lakers assistant and ex-Sun Rambis “the top candidate” for the Suns’ head coaching position.

As of right now, Rambis is “not on Phoenix’s radar,” and is not on the list of scheduled interviews.

Terry Porter

Age: 45 (April 6, 1963)
College: Wisconsin-Steven Point (’85)
Current job: Assistant coach, Detroit Pistons
NBA experience: Played 17 seasons in the NBA, with Portland, Minnesota, Miami and San Antonio. … His teams compiled a record of 815-547 (.598) during his career and only once failed to make the postseason. … In his 1,274 career games, Porter averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 assists and 1.24 steals, scoring 15,586 points, earning two All-Star berths (1991, 1993) and making two trips to the NBA Finals (1990, 1992), all with the Blazers. Retired in 2002 in 10th place on the NBA’s all-time assist list (7,160).
Coaching experience: After one season as an assistant in Sacramento (2002-03) took over as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. … Led them to a 41-41 record and a playoff appearance in 2003-04, but he lost point guard T.J. Ford for all of the following year, and after the Bucks dipped to 30-52, he was fired. ... Has spent the last two seasons as an assistant to Saunders, his former coach in Minnesota, with the Pistons.