After another disappointing season for the Portland Trail Blazers, there was a sense around the league that the team would be undergoing major changes in the offseason.
Sure enough, not even a full week after being eliminated, Portland said goodbye to Terry Stotts, who had coached the team since 2012.
With several players rumored to be on the trade block, Terry’s departure isn’t going to be the only move for the Blazers — but finding his replacement will be the top priority.
Shams Charania revealed the newest list of candidates for the job, headlined by Chauncey Billups, Becky Hammon, and Mike D’Antoni.
With the Portland Trail Blazers’ coaching search underway, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Chauncey Billups, Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Mike D’Antoni and Spurs vice president of basketball operations Brent Barry are among the initial candidates for the job, sources tell The Athletic.
Hammon will also interview for the Orlando Magic’s head coaching job, sources tell The Athletic. The Magic and coach Steve Clifford parted ways last week.
Perhaps the biggest wildcard of the name mentioned is Dawn Staley, head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team. A former WNBA star, and coach since 2008, she has led the team to great successes under her watch and has won four major National Coach of the Year awards.
Becky Hammon is another interesting name. A Spurs assistant, she’s been learning and training under Gregg Popovich for years, and has been on the radar for coaching searches for a few years now.
Spurs VP Brent Barry hasn’t been mentioned a ton as a candidate, but it’s easy to see why the Blazers would be interested — he’s a brilliant basketball mind who is part of one of the most winningest organizations in sports.
As for Chauncey and Mike D’Antoni, they should be considered the favorites for now. D’Antoni has years of coaching experience while Chauncey was named as a preferred choice by Damian Lillard.
Regardless, whoever is named as the coach for the Blazers, they better get it right. This next season may well determine their long-term future.
