The Golden State Warriors ensured that Steve Kerr would remain at the helm after offering him a new contract. As promising as this news was, the departure of assistant coaches like Terry Stotts has left the Warriors’ coaching staff a little thin.
Terry Stotts’ departure is particularly noteworthy. After spending two seasons as the Warriors’ assistant coach, Stotts finds himself back on the market, and with a vacancy opening up in Portland, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Stotts and the Trail Blazers may be gearing up for a reunion.
“Former Blazers head coach Terry Stotts is indeed trying to get the Portland job for the second time after leaving his post this week as an assistant on Steve Kerr’s Golden State staff,” Stein wrote. “Stotts acknowledged as much in the below conversation with longtime Portland columnist Dwight Jaynes via Jaynes’ own Substack.”
Stein redirects attention to Dwight Jaynes’ Substack post, where Terry Stotts expressed his desire to take up the head coaching role in Portland.
“‘I would love to come back to the Blazers and Portland,’ he told me via text Friday,” Jaynes wrote. “And not only that, Stotts confirmed that his agent, Warran LeGarie, has contacted the Trail Blazers.”
This could be immensely promising for the Portland Trail Blazers moving forward. Although the team had a remarkable season with former NBA player Tiago Splitter assuming the interim head coach position, it is safe to say that Terry Stotts’ legacy in Portland may make him a fan favorite.
Stotts spent nine seasons as the Trail Blazers’ head coach (2013-2021). During that time, he logged an impressive 402-318 record in the regular season, followed by an underwhelming 22-40 record in the postseason.
During his tenure as the Blazers’ head coach, Portland made it to the postseason each time, although their record wasn’t always promising. A Western Conference Finals appearance in the 2018-19 season against the Golden State Warriors could be deemed the peak of Stotts’ career as a head coach.
For the Blazers, Terry Stotts’ return would be significant for several reasons. Beyond his familiarity with the front office and the franchise, the Blazers currently feature a unique blend of young talent and veteran experience. Given that Damian Lillard will also be healthy in time for the 2026-27 season, pairing Lillard with his former head coach could also prove positive.
Jaynes noted that Stotts’ arrival will largely depend on Blazers owner Tom Dundon. While noting Dundon’s expectations, Jaynes shared:
“New Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon has made it known his preference is to pay in the neighborhood of $1-2 million a year for a coach, which is likely less than Stotts made as Kerr’s top assistant… There has been speculation, though, that with the right coach, Dundon would be willing to open the pocketbook a little wider.”
Dundon has developed a reputation for being quite judicious with the way he spends money. Still, a salary of $1-$2 million for a head coach may be quite low, especially given that the average salary for NBA head coaches ranges from $7-$9 million.
It goes without saying that this could limit the number of interested candidates. However, should Stotts emerge as the favorite to assume the head coaching role, it would be advisable to invest in him.
