Report: Blazers Sign Chauncey Billups to Five-Year Deal as Head Coach
The Trail Blazers have reached a contract agreement with Chauncey Billups to become the team's next head coach, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal reportedly spans five seasons, and includes a team option in its final year.
Previous reports indicated the Blazers and Billups were engaged in contract negotiations over the weekend after he was officially offered the job on Friday night.
According to ESPN, Billups' hiring marks the beginning of Portland trying to maximize its championship window around Damian Lillard.
The Blazers' landing of Billups sets the franchise course on trying to maximize the prime years of All-NBA guard Damian Lillard's career by elevating the team into deeper runs in the Western Conference playoffs. Portland has advanced to two conference semifinals and a conference finals in the Lillard-Olshey-Stotts era.
Lillard is reportedly broaching the possibility of forcing his way from the Blazers in wake of the controversy surrounding the team's coaching search and its longtime inability to field a title-worthy supporting cast around him.
Billups was accused of rape in 1997, three years later settling a civil suit filed against him by his alleged victim. Though Lillard expressed early approval of Billups taking the reins in Portland, he is reportedly miffed at the notion from some fans that he bears responsibility for the Blazers hiring an alleged perpetrator of violence against women.
- Details of the allegations against Billups can be found HERE (CONTENT WARNING).
Billups, whose existing relationship with Olshey was reportedly a major factor in his hiring, is a rookie assistant with the LA Clippers. He's been lauded for the palpable playmaking improvement of Paul George this season, and ESPN recently rated him as the top head-coaching prospect in all of basketball.
The Blazers will formally announce Billups as head coach on Tuesday.