Former Trail Blazers head coach Mike Schuler has passed away at age 81, the team announced in a press release. Schuler compiled a 127-84 record over parts of three seasons with the Blazers from 1986-1989, winning NBA Coach of the Year in 1987/88, when Portland went 53-29 in the regular season.
A native of Portsmouth, Ohio, who graduated from Ohio University in 1962, Schuler was a college coach for 16 years before transitioning to the pros. His NBA coaching career spanned 24 years and included stops with the Nets, Bucks, Warriors, Clippers (head coach from ’90-92), Kings and Timberwolves.
Our condolences go out to Schuler’s friends and family.
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- Former Nets wing Dzanan Musa, who was named the Most Valuable Player of Liga ACB, Spain’s top basketball league, back in May, is close to signing with Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid, according to a report from Eurohoops.net. The 29th pick of the 2018 draft, Musa appeared in 49 games over two seasons with Brooklyn from 2018-20. He’s excelled since returning to Europe, playing for teams in Turkey and Spain over the last two years. Musa averaged 20.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 3.1 APG on .494/.381/.787 shooting in 29 Liga ACB games (32.0 MPG) for CB Breogan this past season.
- Isaiah Canaan, who holds six seasons of NBA experience with the Rockets, Sixers, Bulls, Suns, Timberwolves and Bucks from 2013-19, is signing with Greek team Olympiacos, sources tell Stavros Barbarousis of Eurohoops.net. Canaan spent two seasons with Russian team UNICS Kazan, but left the club when it was suspended from EuroLeague action following the invasion of Ukraine. He finished out last season with Turkish club Galatasaray. Across 235 NBA games (20.4 MPG), Canaan has career averages of 8.1 PPG, 1.9 RPG and 1.9 APG on .371/.351/.836 shooting.
- Jared Dubin of FiveThirtyEight.com explores which teams have leveled up in free agency thus far, and which clubs have found bargains. Adding Danilo Gallinari and trading for Malcolm Brogdon means the Celtics have leveled up, according to Dubin, who also points to the Nuggets, Clippers and Sixers as teams that improved. The Bucks, Raptors, Blazers, Warriors, Kings and Lakers are teams that have found bargains, Dubin writes.