Chauncey Billups Receives Major Update on Contract Extension With Blazers: Report

Rumblings have emerged about fourth-year Portland head coach Chauncey Billups' fate with the team.

Apr 3, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN: Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups gestures to his team during the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, the Portland Trail Blazers were officially eliminated from postseason contention, on the night they vanquished the San Antonio Spurs, no less.

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That victory, achieved even without starting center Deandre Ayton, starting point guard Anfernee Simons, starting wings Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant, sixth man point guard Scoot Henderson and All-Defensive Team center Robert Williams III, instantly became detrimental for the team.

With even the play-in tournament now out of reach, the Trail Blazers needed to accrue every loss they could stack ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft lottery.

Read More: Blazers Officially Eliminated From Playoffs After Big Win

Thanks in large part to those strategic resting decisions, the Trail Blazers have now, accordingly, lost their last two games in a row since that Spurs win, and three of their last 10 overall.

Portland will not be able to catch the 33-48 Spurs, but could still finish with a worse record than the 36-45 Phoenix Suns, provided they take care of business and fall to the Lakers in their Sunday season finale. If the team does that, Portland will finish with the ninth-worst record in the league this season.

The club will now have missed the playoffs for all four years of head coach Chauncey Billups' reign. How much of that is his fault, even during the two seasons Portland thought it was trying to win, is an open question. Damian Lillard injuries ultimately convinced the Trail Blazers to tank down the home stretch in 2021-22 and 2022-23, but it's debatable that those rosters, even when healthy, could have competed for much beyond the play-in tournament anyway.

Recently extended general manager Joe Cronin pivoted for 2023-24, trading Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks and accruing young pieces and draft equity. This year's team enjoyed a surprisingly robust 2025, thanks to a major Billups-engineered defensive turnaround and the offensive breakout of Avdija.

This week, rumblings have emerged about Billups' fate with the team. The former Hall of Fame point guard is in the final guaranteed season of his deal with the franchise, with a team option for 2025-26.

Multiple sources have informed longtime Oregon sports insider Dwight Jaynes that Billups is likely to be retained, with Portland looking to ink him to a multi-year contract extension.

"Sources within the league say that the development of Portland’s young players this year, the surprising won-lost record, along with the team’s climb in defensive rating, has made him a hot candidate for prospective coaching openings this summer," Jaynes writes.

Young pieces like Avdija, Toumani Camara, rookie center Donovan Clingan, and Shaedon Sharpe have all grown by leaps and bounds under Billups' tutelage.

Because Billups is considered to have some appeal across the league, sources tell Jaynes that the Trail Blazers will need to fork up a long-term deal to keep him around.

More Portland Trail Blazers:

Blazers Legend Carmelo Anthony Inducted into Pro Basketball Hall of Fame

Former Blazers Hall of Famer Calls Out Organization

New Trade Proposal Sees Blazers Send Out Center to Lakers

Blazers Could Send $100M Vet to Lakers in Massive New Trade Proposal: Report

For more news and notes on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Portland Trail Blazers on SI.