The Memphis Grizzlies have been granted permission to interview Portland Trail Blazers assistant Nate Tibbetts for the team's vacancy at head coach, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Tibbetts, 41, has been with Portland since 2013. He had previously been an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. Prior to joining the Cavaliers, Tibbetts cut his teeth in the G-League, first as an assistant with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and then as head coach of the Oklahoma City Blue. He's been lauded at every stop of his coaching career for both his strategic acumen and ability to relate to modern-day players. Tibbetts has also been under consideration for other head-coaching jobs this offseason, including with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns.

The Grizzlies fired J.B. Bickerstaff on April 11th. He was named the team’s interim head coach in November 2017 following the ouster of David Fizdale, and was retained on a full-time basis at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season. Memphis, playing without star point guard Mike Conley for the majority of Bickerstaff’s first season on the job, went a dismal 15-48 after he took over for Fizdale. The Grizzlies got off to a surprisingly strong start this season at 15-9, but were again bit by the injury bug across the roster, finishing with a 33-49 record after trading franchise stalwart Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors at the trade deadline.

Memphis has also undergone a major overhaul in the front office since the end of the regular season. Longtime head honcho Chris Wallace was reassigned to a scouting role, while Jason Wexler was named team president overseeing both basketball and business operations of the franchise. Zachary Kleiman is Memphis' new executive vice president of basketball operations, while former player Tayshaun Prince was recently named vice president of basketball affairs.