Since firing Terry Stotts earlier this month, the Portland Trail Blazers have been hard at work looking for his replacement.
Among a number of finalists (that included Mike D’Antoni and Becky Hammon), it appears as if the team has settled on their next coach: 5x All-Star and Clippers assistant, Chauncey Billups.
The Portland Trail Blazers are locked in on Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups as their new head coach and are hopeful to finalize a deal, sources tell me and @sam_amick.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2021
No deal has been finalized yet, but it’s no surprise that Chauncey has the position locked up.
Following the departure of Stotts, both he and Jason Kidd were suggested by Damian Lillard, leading many to believe that it was Billups’ job to lose from the start.
Of course, Neil Olshey and team management continue to vet candidates, operating with secrecy until the very end.
With a new coach now named, the Blazers can work on overhauling their roster. After a disappointing first-round exit this postseason, the team is under more pressure than ever to shake things up and build a true contender around Damian Lillard.
CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, and Robert Covington could all be put on the block this offseason, and it will be interesting to see who the team can bring in.
Either way, the changes aren’t expected to stop for Portland. They will do whatever it takes to ensure the 2021-22 season is the best of Lillard’s career.
