Report: Blazers Expected to Name New Coach 'Early Next Week'
Three of the league's seven available coaching jobs have been filled in the last 72 hours. The Trail Blazers, apparently, could very well be the next team to name its new head coach.
Dwight Jaynes of NBC Sports Northwest reported on Friday that Portland is expected to announce its replacement for Terry Stotts "by early next week."
The notion that the Blazers are in the final stages of their coaching search comes as no surprise. They conducted follow-up interviews with Chauncey Billups, Becky Hammon and Mike D'Antoni—long considered the three leading candidates—this week, and multiple recent reports indicated that Portland was nearing a decision.
Contrary to popular assumption, Jaynes also reports that the Blazers still have "final interviews" scheduled with other unknown candidates.
The Trail Blazers have not yet completed all the final interviews for their vacant head coaching job, sources confirmed Friday. Chauncey Billups, Becky Hammon and Mike D'Antoni are among those known to be finalists for the job...It is also known, as reported here previously, that there have been others interviewed whose names have not become known -- and likely will not be known, due to their current coaching situations.
Portland could indeed name its new head coach even if that person is currently employed by one of the league's four remaining playoff teams, according to Jaynes. Billups is in his debut season as an assistant with the LA Clippers, who trail the Phoenix Suns 2-1 in the Western Conference Finals.
Though Billups and Hammon emerged as favorites for the Blazers' job after the team's initial round of interviews, D'Antoni has recently gained momentum.
ESPN reported on Friday that he didn't just make a positive impression on owner Jody Allen, general manager Neil Olshey and others during his follow-up interview this week, but also "scored points" with Damian Lillard—who'd previously made his preference for Billups clear. Allen, meanwhile, apparently still hopes to hire Hammon.
South Carolina women's coach Dawn Staley and San Antonio Spurs president of basketball operations Brent Barry are the other candidates known to have interviewed with the Blazers.
[Dwight Jaynes, NBC Sports Northwest]