Report: Blazers to Interview D'Antoni, Billups, Hammon This Week
The Trail Blazers are taking another major step – or three – toward finding their next head coach.
Mike D'Antoni, Chauncey Billups and Becky Hammon, considered three of the leading candidates to succeed Terry Stotts on the sidelines, will be interviewed by Portland this week, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
D'Antoni has been mentioned as a likely candidate for the Blazers' job since Stotts' departure. Last week, The Athletic reported that the 70-year-old offensive mastermind has "serious interest" in taking the reins in Portland. D'Antoni is currently a lead assistant under Steve Nash, his fellow architect behind the "Seven Seconds or Less" Phoenix Suns, with the Brooklyn Nets.
Billups, initially reported as a potential successor to Stotts during the 2020-21 season, has the pre-approval of Damian Lillard as well as a strong relationship with general manager Neil Olshey. A rookie assistant with the LA Clippers, Billups is also the betting favorite to be the Blazers' hire. He was accused of rape in 1997, later settling a civil lawsuit filed against him by his alleged victim.
Conspicuously absent from lists of rumored early candidates, Hammon surfaced as a legitimate possibility for Portland last week. She's been on Gregg Popovich's sidelines with the San Antonio Spurs since 2014, steadily rising up the assistant ranks. In December, Hammon became the first woman to ever serve as acting NBA head coach when Popovich appointed her to the head chair after his ejection against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Previous reporting indicated the Blazers also have interest in South Carolina women's coach Dawn Staley and Spurs president of basketball operations Brent Barry. Jason Kidd, Lillard's early personal favorite, has already withdrawn from consideration, while Michigan men's coach Juwan Howard seems intent on staying in Ann Arbor.