Following a run as an assistant on Steve Kerr’s staff with the Golden State Warriors, Terry Stotts is searching for his next coaching opportunity in the NBA.
At this stage of the offseason, several teams are still on the hunt for a new coach. One of them happens to be the Portland Trail Blazers, where Stotts had his most prominent run as a coach.
For nine seasons, Stotts was the head coach of the Blazers. In over 700 games coached, Stotts won 55.8% of his games. The Blazers made the playoffs eight times.
Last season, the Blazers reunited with the veteran guard Damian Lillard just a couple of years after trading him to the Milwaukee Bucks. Could they bring back Lillard’s old coach as well? It’s unclear if Portland’s ownership and front office is interested—but the head coach made his feelings clear on that idea.
Terry Stotts Addresses A Potential Return to the Trail Blazers
“I would love to come back to the Blazers and Portland,” Stotts told Dwight Jaynes.
That’s as straightforward as he can be. Now, the ball is in the Blazers’ court.
After Stotts’ run as the head coach, the Blazers hired Chauncey Billups in 2021. The former NBA All-Star navigated the team through its rebuild. They didn’t make the playoffs at all, and won just 35.7% of their games during Billups’ stint.
While the Blazers seemed interested in allowing Billups to be in charge of the turnaround, off-court issues forced Portland into a different direction. Tiago Splitter took over in October, but is on pace to split with the organization, rather than signing on long-term.
If the Blazers are open to a second stint with Stotts, they’ll just have to make an offer. As for the former Warriors assistant, Stotts could gain interest elsewhere. The New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, and Orlando Magic are all in the market for a new leader.
With Stotts’ exit from the Warriors being so fresh, his market of possible landing spots is still developing.