Chauncey Billups

Northwest Notes: Billups, Trail Blazers, Holmgren, Nix

November 11th, 2024 at 9:42am CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups tore into his team for failing to be competitive in Sunday’s loss to Memphis, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. Portland lost by 45 points while playing at home against a Grizzlies squad that was missing Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. Billups told reporters that he has no plans to rewatch the game, then criticized his players for their lackluster effort.

“We were soft as hell the whole game,” he said. “Nobody really fought. It was just embarrassing. That’s just not who we are. There’s no excuse for that. You have a lot of rough nights in this league, obviously. But I don’t even care. This wasn’t even that. Guys showed up because they had to be here but they didn’t want to play. They didn’t want to actually work. That’s embarrassing. It’s unfortunate that we had to go out there in front of our fans that paid their hard-earned money to come see their favorite team play. And you show up and do that. It was embarrassing.”

The poor performance and Billups’ reaction raise questions about how much longer he’ll be with the organization, Highkin adds. Billups is already considered likely to be replaced after the season ends, but Highkin suggests that more outings like Sunday’s may force general manager Joe Cronin to make a coaching change before the spring.

In addition to criticizing his players, Billups accepted part of the blame for what happened.

“We’ve lost by more points than this,” he said. “But it’s how. We’re laying down and caving in. At the end of the day, that’s on me. I’m the leader in this. This is our team, but I’m the head of this. I take that very personally. I don’t have one bone of that in my body. That’s on me. I’ve got to be better. I’ll have them a little more prepared next time.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers are likely to be active on the trade market before the February 6 deadline, Highkin adds in a separate story. He expects Robert Williams III to be in demand if he stays healthy, considering the number of teams that need help at center. Highkin also believes contenders will keep calling about Jerami Grant and Matisse Thybulle, but he considers Deandre Ayton and Anfernee Simons less likely to be moved.
After suffering a right iliac wing fracture on Sunday that will sideline him for at least eight-to-10 weeks, Thunder big man Chet Holmgren shared his thoughts on the injury (Twitter link). “Can’t tell if I feel better or worse about this having been through something similar before,” he wrote. “On one hand I know how to approach it, I know what to do, what not to do and how beautiful the other side is. But on the other hand I’ve felt the frustration of this process, and the wear it puts on your mind. Most of all I’m hurt I can’t help my teammates and play for our fans and supporters for a while. Everyone who sticks with me and our team, along with my need for hoops, is a big part of my passion to return. Don’t pity me or feel bad, there’s lots of people out there right now with real problems that don’t heal. Anyways excuse my rambling just wanted to address our OKC fans and family.”
Daishen Nix, who signed a two-way contract with the Timberwolves this summer, had a huge game for the G League Iowa Wolves on Saturday. He posted 45 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists and capped off the night with a game-clinching steal and assist (Twitter video link from Charlie Walton).

Northwest Notes: Gobert, Reid, Braun, Jokic, Blazers

October 24th, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Rudy Gobert recognized that if he picked up his 2025/26 player option that would have been worth close to $47MM, it would have hindered the chances of the Timberwolves re-signing key pieces, including Naz Reid, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Julius Randle. That’s why, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, he sought after a “win-win” deal in re-signing for the three-year, $110MM deal that has an annual average value of $36.7MM.

“My next year contract was really high,” Gobert said. “So being able to allow the team to keep our guys, that was the win for the Timberwolves. But being able to keep me for a longer term was great for both of us.”

According to Krawczynski, Gobert recognizes he has a shot at a championship by sticking with the Timberwolves and continuing to build on the progress the team made last season en route to the Western Conference Finals. From the sound of it, he wasn’t interested in the idea of opting out of current contract and signing elsewhere to chase rings with another team.

The two sides were actually close to not agreeing to a deal, per Krawczynski, as Gobert sought a four-year contract that the Wolves weren’t comfortable offering. But Gobert, mindful of his appreciation for coach Chris Finch, his respect for teammate Anthony Edwards, and the fact that he wanted to help his teammates get paid, ultimately agreed to sign an extension just moments before opening night tipped off.

“It’s never been about money, but even more at this point in my career, it’s about being where I feel at home and where I can win championships,” Gobert said. “These guys, from players to coaches to organization embrace me and believed in me and gave me the opportunity to be the best version of myself on and off the court, and also make me grow.”

The Wolves’ situation serves as an example of how the NBA’s strict guidelines for apron teams are impacting decision making. The team already traded long-time franchise staple Karl-Anthony Towns to shed future salary, and Gobert’s decision to sacrifice short-term money showed he recognized the need for long-term security and a better chance to win and support his teammates in this newer era.

“For him to think about the next person, that’s dope,” Reid said. “That’s really unselfish. I know a lot of people wouldn’t do that, but he would. He’s showing it now. I’m happy that he’s thinking about me and this team. That means he wants to win.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Reid will continue to step more into the spotlight after a successful Sixth Man of the Year campaign last season. In an conversation with Sportskeeda’s Mark Medina, The longest-tenured Timberwolves player discussed the added responsibilities he’ll face with Towns out of the picture. “I’m super comfortable,” Reid said. “Me and KAT do a lot of similar things. With him being here and gone, it’s the same thing for me and the same mentality. I kind of view it as the same thing. More minutes. Same thing, though. Next man up. That’s my mentality.“
Christian Braun‘s young basketball career has been defined by winning. He claimed three straight state titles in high school, helped Kansas win an NCAA championship in his final collegiate season, then played a role on the Nuggets‘ title team in his NBA rookie season. That all led him to the point of potentially starting as Denver’s shooting guard this season, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. If Braun does start in the team’s Thursday opener, it will mark just his 11th career start.
Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic found himself often playing alongside the second unit in staggered lineups during the preseason. One of the most natural fits was a lineup that includes Russell Westbrook, Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson and Dario Saric, Jokic is embracing the idea of mixing up the rotations a bit more this season, Durando writes in a separate story. “I think we should do that in a game, just to give teams (a) different look,” Jokic said. “I like it, just to play with somebody else. And why not?“
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was highly critical of his team after they lost by 35 points in the season opener to the Warriors, according to Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin. “I didn’t think one guy on our team played well in the game,” Billups said. “Man, it was crazy. It felt like we were two steps slow on everything. Defensively, offensively, we just waited to react to everything, and you can’t do that against a team like that. They beat us at every facet of the game. Every loose ball, they were the first team there. Getting down the floor after makes and after misses. Every single facet of the game, they beat us.“

Western Notes: Lee, Billups, Wembanyama, Paul

October 6th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

After being sidelined all of last season due to a right knee injury, Suns guard Damion Lee expects to play a limited role in the early going, according to The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin.

“I don’t anticipate or expect myself to come out early in the season and play 30 minutes a game,” Lee said. “I know what I do. I know what my role is and when the time comes for me to out there and contribute, then I will and I’ll try to do it to the best of my abilities.”

Lee appeared in 74 games for Phoenix in 2022/23, averaging 8.2 points in 20.4 minutes per contest.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame next weekend. Billups, the Final MVP with the Pistons in 2004, was in a state of disbelief when he got the call that he had been elected, in part because of the timing. “(When the Hall) actually called, they picked a (heck) of a day. It was April Fool’s. It was on April 1,” Billups told the Denver Post’s Sean Keeler. “So when they called, I just kept saying, ‘If y’all are playing this sick joke on me, man, I’m never speaking to any of y’all again. That’s the worst.’”
Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul are among the Spurs who won’t suit up for their preseason game against Oklahoma City on Monday, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes. There are no injury concerns — San Antonio is simply easing its stars into the preseason schedule. Both participated in all five practices last week, Orsborn notes.
Wembanyama worked on his ball-handing and moves with longtime NBA guard Jamal Crawford this offseason, Orsborn reports in a separate story. The Spurs big man believes that work will pay off this season. “It was my first time working for a long period of time with an actual retired NBA player,” Wembanyama said. “I learned a lot because the view he has of the game is different from a coach’s because he understands the player maybe more than any coaches I have worked with before. It was a great experience. I would do it again.”

Blazers Notes: Williams, Roster, Billups, Clingan, Ayton, Camara

October 1st, 2024 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

After undergoing knee surgery last fall that ended his season early and limited him to just six appearances in 2023/24, Trail Blazers center Robert Williams has been taking part in five-on-five scrimmages in recent weeks and expects to be ready for the start of the season, writes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. While Williams may be held out of some activities during training camp and the preseason, he’s excited about nearing the end of a long recovery process.

“I’m in a great space right now,” Williams said on Monday. “Trying to stay on top of everything physically and mentally. It’s been a long seven months. A long fight back. But I’m just ready to get back on the court, man. You saw me smiling when I came in here. At one point, I couldn’t even walk, you feel what I’m saying? So I’m just ready to get back out there and show what I can do.”

Williams has been slowed by injuries over the course of his NBA career, having played more than 35 regular season games just twice in six years. However, he has made a significant on-court impact when healthy, earning a spot on the All-Defensive Second Team in Boston in 2022. The big man, who will turn 27 this month, expressed confidence in his chances of returning to that level.

“I feel like I’m there,” he told reporters, per Highkin. “I’ve been playing five-on-five a lot over the past month. But it’s been a nonstop grind since I hurt myself last year. Starting then, from the rehab process to getting back out on the court, everything I went through, it’s been a long grind. I feel like I’m ready.”

Here’s more on the Trail Blazers:

After finishing last season with a 21-61 record, the Trail Blazers know they’re unlikely to take a major step toward contention until young cornerstones like Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and Donovan Clingan are ready to contribute at a high level. “Until those guys take steps and start playing winning basketball, we’re not going to win at the level we need to,” general manager Joe Cronin said, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “So, part of it’s up to them. When will you guys be ready? When will you take these next steps, and when can you really impact the game instead of just showing flashes or have a good five-game run.”
According to Highkin, Cronin likes the fact that the roster has some continuity heading into the 2024/25 season — the GM acknowledged that the team was somewhat “disjointed” after the front office made a pair of major trades just ahead of training camp last fall. The next step, per Cronin, will be to get a better sense of which players on the current roster are long-term keepers. “One thing we’re really hoping to find this year, throughout this season, and definitely by the end of it, is more clarity,” he said, per Fentress. “Last year, I don’t know how much clarity we walked away with. We saw flashes and capabilities, but we didn’t see sustained production or sustained cohesion. And I think this year, we need to build on that. We need to have a better feel and understanding of what we are, what moves we need to make, what additions we need to have, what’s going really well. We need just more focus on what our long-term outlook is going to look like.”
Head coach Chauncey Billups is entering the final guaranteed year of his current contract (the Blazers hold an option for 2025/26), but he’s not concerned about his “lame duck” status, he said on Monday. “You can be in the first year of your deal, you can be in the last year of your deal. It’s all the same,” Billups said, per Highkin. “You’ve got to go do a good job. And if not, we see it all the time. Coaches get fired and don’t even get to finish their first year. I don’t think about that, I don’t worry about that. What I’m most proud of is, I’m light-years ahead of where I was when I took this microphone three years ago.”
While Portland’s center logjam has been a popular topic of discussion leading up to training camp, there’s no tension between 2024 lottery pick Clingan and former No. 1 overall selection Deandre Ayton, who have been developing a bond ahead of their first season together, Highkin writes. “D.A. is awesome,” Clingan said. “He’s got a lot of energy. He knows the game very well. A lot of skill. To have someone to look up to like that is special. It means a lot to me.”
Second-year Blazers forward Toumani Camara said on Monday that he has fully recovered from the rib and kidney injuries that brought his rookie year to a premature end (Twitter link via Highkin). Camara fractured his left rib and sustained a small laceration in his kidney in March.

Northwest Notes: Reid, Billups, Moran, Thunder

August 7th, 2024 at 8:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

In addition to being the reigning Sixth Man of the Year and a key part of a Timberwolves team that looks like a perennial title contender, Naz Reid has become somewhat of a folk hero in Minnesota, writes Jared Ebanks of Slam Online.

There’s a fan culture that has sprung up around Reid that includes $20 tattoos of his name, a beach towel giveaway night and a sign outside a pizza parlor in Northeast Minneapolis that encourages drivers to “Honk if you love Naz Reid.” Reid is accepting the adulation as part of the reward for the years he spent developing his game.

“I treat it as second hand and whatever comes with me putting the work that I put in, I’m excited to have,” Reid said. “Obviously, I’m truly humbled to have all that. I think as anyone should at the professional level, take that along with the bumps and bruises. Just keep being you and playing your game.”

Reid wasn’t an instant success in the NBA, as he went undrafted out of LSU in 2019 amid concerns about his height and pre-draft workouts. He landed a two-way contract with the Wolves and worked his way up from there, but Reid tells Ebanks that the slights coming out of college provided motivation.

“It just made me more hungry. It kind of rose, kind of changed to where I was the hunted, now I’m hunting at that point,” he said. “In high school, I was a top recruit, five-star, McDonald’s All-American, things like that, to where now I had to grind to be in a position where I had to compete against others who were at high levels, who were drafted and things of that nature. So [I was] putting myself in that perspective of just hunting.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

There are indications that Chauncey Billups may not be interested in continuing as the Trail Blazers’ head coach when his contract expires at the end of the season, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report states in a mailbag column. According to Highkin, Billups recently appeared on two podcasts hosted by his former teammates, Rasheed Wallace and Carmelo Anthony, and indicated that the state of the organization isn’t what he signed up for. Billups was expecting to coach a contending team built around Damian Lillard, but the Blazers traded Lillard last summer and have entered a rebuilding stage where player development is prioritized over winning. Highkin hears that Billups still has the respect of the locker room and a good working relationship with general manager Joe Cronin, but he will enter the season as a lame-duck coach unless the front office picks up his fifth-year option.
In the same piece, Highkin says Trail Blazers officials were “big fans” of the job Jim Moran was doing as head coach of the team’s G League affiliate before he left to join Mike Brown‘s staff in Sacramento. Highkin suggests that Moran views the job with the Kings as a better path toward eventually becoming an NBA head coach.
The Thunder have upgraded their roster with the additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, so Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated examines whether they’ve improved enough to beat Dallas in a playoff series. Oklahoma City was eliminated from the 2024 postseason in a six-game Western Conference semifinal loss to the Mavs.

Western Notes: Conley, Wolves, Mavs, Suns, Billups, Warriors

May 22nd, 2024 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

The calf/Achilles issue that sidelined Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley for Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals hasn’t gone away — he’s listed as questionable for Game 1 of the Western finals. Conley will play on Wednesday, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link), but the team will keep a close eye on that injury going forward.

“It honestly depends on if you can get through the game without having any small setback,” Conley said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “You have some movements that really kind of jar it or cause the pain to go up really quickly and kind of stays there for a little while. Some games I get through the whole game and you don’t have any setback and so you just kind of keep building upward and forward. So I’m just trying to stack as many of those days together as I can.”

Keeping Conley healthy will be crucial for the Wolves as they look to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. In the series vs. Denver, the team had a +13.6 net rating in the 196 minutes he played, compared to a -6.7 mark in the 140 minutes he wasn’t on the floor.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

The early returns on their blockbuster trades for Rudy Gobert and Kyrie Irving weren’t great, but the Timberwolves and Mavericks saved those deals and raised their respective ceilings by returning to the trade market, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger points to Minnesota’s deal for Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dallas’ acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford as follow-up moves that made those original trades look better and helped propel the two teams to the Western Conference finals.
When the Suns were preparing to fire Frank Vogel earlier this month, some of their players – including Kevin Durant – lobbied team owner Mat Ishbia to hire Chauncey Billups away from the Trail Blazers, sources tell Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (subscription required). There’s no indication that Portland would have let Billups get away, despite his uncertain long-term future with the franchise. In any case, the Suns’ decision-makers had already “zeroed in” on Mike Budenholzer by the time they let go of Vogel, Highkin says.
Tim Kawakami of The Athletic evaluates the plausibility of several possible trade targets who might be on the Warriors‘ offseason wish list, ranging from the extreme long shots (like Paul George and Lauri Markkanen) to the more plausible (including perhaps Jarrett Allen and Brandon Ingram).

And-Ones: Potential Coaching Changes, Wembanyama, France, Draft Odds

May 19th, 2024 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Head coaches Taylor Jenkins, Willie Green and Chauncey Billups could all be in danger of losing their jobs next season, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who discussed the topic with league personnel at the draft combine. Hollinger cites a belief that the Grizzlies, Pelicans and Trail Blazers will consider coaching changes if they get off to slow starts.

Jenkins has been mostly successful during his time in Memphis, finishing second in the 2022 Coach of the Year race, but he’s coming off a 27-win season as the Grizzlies were overwhelmed by injuries. Hollinger notes that the organization fired most of his staff prior to the combine, which could be a sign of trouble.

Green posted 49 wins this season, but New Orleans wasn’t competitive while being swept out of the playoffs in the first round by Oklahoma City. There’s been more scrutiny on Green’s offensive philosophies and player usage, especially at center, Hollinger adds.

Billups seems most likely to be replaced as he’s entering the final year of his contract and is reporting to a general manager who didn’t hire him. Portland also made changes involving its assistant coaches, and Hollinger states that Billups seemed to be trying to position himself for the Suns job before they hired Mike Budenholzer. Everyone that Hollinger spoke with expects Billups to be replaced by next offseason.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

In addition to trying to win a gold medal for France, Victor Wembanyama hopes to use the 2024 Olympics as a learning experience, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I am here to learn from some of the best players in the history of the national team,” Wembanyama said. “I am not here to explain anything to players with five, six or seven international campaigns under their belts. For sure, I will have responsibilities, but they will be realistic. I will have as many as necessary.”
Alexandre Sarr, who hopes to follow Wembanyama as the second French player to be drafted No. 1 overall, is part of a wave of NBA talent from the nation, Hollinger writes in a separate story. Zaccharie Risacher will also get consideration as the top pick, as four players from France may be taken in the first round. Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly both went in the lottery last year, and Hollinger notes that Nolan Traore is likely to be selected early in 2025. “I think we got so much talent, it’s exciting,” French native Rudy Gobert said. “You go (back) 20 years ago, we had a few guys like (Tony Parker) and Boris Diaw and (Nicolas) Batum, and now you look and there’s so much talent every year coming in. Credit the French clubs and the French federation for being able to develop some of this talent and allowing them to play to their abilities.”
HoopsHype has released its annual draft predictor, charting the most likely players to be selected by each team. The list starts with Sarr, who is considered to have an 87.9% chance to be drafted by Atlanta.

Suns Notes: Budenholzer, Billups, Coaching Search, O’Neale

May 9th, 2024 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After initially reporting that Mike Budenholzer will be a “prominent part” of the Suns‘ search for a new head coach following Frank Vogel‘s dismissal, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links) cites sources who say Budenholzer has emerged as the frontrunner for the position. A deal could come together relatively quickly, Wojnarowski adds.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 shared a similar report, tweeting that Budenholzer is the “most likely” hire for the Suns. Gambadoro suggested that the search process won’t last long, with perhaps just two or three candidates receiving serious consideration.

According to Wojnarowski, Budenholzer has been preparing for the possibility of returning to an NBA head coaching job by working on assembling a potential staff. He has also been mentioned as a possibility for the Lakers, but it sounds as if there’s more momentum toward a deal with Phoenix.

Here’s more on the Suns:

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) has heard that Chauncey Billups would have support from Suns players as a head coaching candidate. Billups played on Team USA with Kevin Durant in 2010 and is a “known admirer” of Devin Booker, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report points out (via Twitter). Of course, Billups is still under contract as the Trail Blazers‘ head coach, but previous reporting indicated that teams around the NBA are keeping an eye on that situation.
Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports takes a look at a handful of possible candidates to replace Vogel, discussing four other potential targets besides Budenholzer and Billups.
Should the Timberwolves’ road dominance in the first two games of their series vs. the Nuggets change the way the Suns view their four consecutive playoff losses to Minnesota? Bourguet explores that question in an article for the PHNX newsletter.
In one more story for PHNX Sports, Bourguet lays out why re-signing unrestricted free agent forward Royce O’Neale is the only logical option for Phoenix this offseason, since the team would have no real way to replace him with a similar player if he walks.

Coaching Rumors: Hornets, Lakers, Redick, Billups

May 8th, 2024 at 9:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Hornets expect to decide on their new head coach within the next seven days, co-owner Rick Schnall told Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer. While playing in the pro-am prior to the PGA’s Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, Schnall stated that the organization is nearing a final decision, but he wasn’t willing to tip his hand.

“We’re close. You’ll see us announce it certainly in the next week,” Schnall said. “We’re going to hire the best person that we can for our team.”

The Observer has reported that Celtics assistant Charles Lee is considered the favorite to replace Steve Clifford, who agreed to move into a front office position after the season ended. Lee was one of several assistant coaches that the Hornets received permission to interview in early April. Zietlow notes that Lee is considered one of the best assistants in the league and he has a prior working relationship in Atlanta with Jeff Peterson, the team’s new vice president of basketball operations.

There are more coaching rumors to pass along:

The Lakers are moving slowly in their coaching search because two of their preferred options are unavailable, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required). Jason Kidd, a former assistant in L.A., signed a multi-year extension with the Mavericks this week. And even if Tyronn Lue‘s extension talks are unsuccessful, the Clippers hold an option on him for next season, so it’s unlikely they’ll set him free to sign with their cross-town rival. Stein adds that the Lakers are conducting internal meetings this week to set their priorities in finding Darvin Ham‘s replacement. However, they’ve yet to request permission to interview any assistant coaches who might be targets, such as Lee, the Warriors‘ Kenny Atkinson or the Nuggets’ David Adelman.
In the same column, Stein wonders whether there’s any action ESPN can take to prevent losing J.J. Redick to the coaching ranks before the NBA Finals wrap up. Redick is considered a potential candidate for the Hornets and Lakers, but he’s also a member of the network’s prime broadcast team. Stein points out that Doc Rivers had a featured position with ESPN before leaving in late January to become head coach of the Bucks.
Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian adds credence to the claim that Chauncey Billups would have other options if he parts ways with the Trail Blazers. A source told Fentress before the playoffs began that Billups could become a candidate for teams that are eliminated in the early rounds.

Teams Monitoring Chauncey Billups’ Situation With Blazers

May 8th, 2024 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Teams around the NBA are monitoring Chauncey Billups‘ situation in Portland, league sources tell Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link) says he’s heard similar rumblings within the past 24 hours.

According to Mannix, if the Trail Blazers and Billups were to part ways, the Hall of Famer would “quickly emerge” as a candidate for other jobs. Mannix doesn’t specify whether he’s referring to head coaching jobs, but it’s worth noting that the Wizards, Hornets, and Lakers currently have openings, and it’s possible the Suns – who will soon make a decision on Frank Vogel – could join them.

Since he took over for Terry Stotts in 2021, Billups has led the Blazers to an 81-165 (.329) regular season record, with no more than 33 wins in any season. Portland went 21-61 in 2023/24, the worst mark in the Western Conference. The club finished the season ranked 29th in offensive rating (107.6) and 23rd in defensive rating (116.6).

Still, those disappointing results can’t be entirely attributed to Billups. The Blazers have traded away several veteran starters since he was hired, including Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, among others. Additionally, Portland has had bad injury luck in recent years and has been without multiple key contributors in each season — in 2023/24, Scoot Henderson, Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Malcolm Brogdon, Shaedon Sharpe, and Robert Williams all missed at least 20 games.

Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said last month during his end-of-season media session that the plan is to bring Billups back for the 2024/25 season. However, there are some reasons to suspect that plan may not be set in stone.

Since the regular season ended, Portland has lost one assistant and decided not to bring back two others, including Chauncey’s brother Rodney Billups. Additionally, Billups is entering the final guaranteed season of his contract – the Blazers hold a team option for 2025/26 – and has expressed a desire to win next season, while Cronin has talked about player development being more of a priority for the franchise in the short term.

As Highkin wrote for Rose Garden Report in April, it doesn’t sound as if Cronin is looking to make a coaching change, but Billups also seems unlikely to receive an extension from the Blazers before the fall, so he’ll be entering the 2024/25 season as something of a lame duck.

Teams are presumably keeping an eye on the situation to get a sense of whether Billups is unhappy and if there’s a scenario in which he and the Blazers decide to mutually part ways. There would likely be many clubs with interest in hiring him as an assistant, even if he’s not able to land another head coaching position right away. He spent one year as an assistant with the Clippers before ending up in Portland.

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