Report: Scott Brooks to Join Blazers as Chauncey Billups' Top Assistant
Chauncey Billups made clear that prior head-coaching experience would be the most important attribute in building out his staff with the Trail Blazers. After well over a decade coaching some of the league's biggest stars, Scott Brooks certainly fits that criteria.
Brooks, former head coach of the Washington Wizards and Oklahoma City Thunder, has agreed to be Billups' top assistant in Portland, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported on Thursday that Brooks, Los Angeles Lakers assistant Lionel Hollins and former LA Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro had emerged as leading candidates for the Blazers' second chair.
At his introductory press conference on June 29, Billups was asked where he was in the process of hiring assistant coaches.
"Just beginning to put it together," he said of his bench. "Me as a first-timer, it's gonna be really important that I have a ton of experience on my staff."
Brooks, 55, spent the last five seasons as head coach of the Washington Wizards. Ravaged by early-season injuries and health and safety protocols in 2020-21, Washington rebounded from a disappointing start to finish the season 15-5, making the playoffs for the third time in Brooks' tenure.
His first and most memorable stint as a head coach came with the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008-09 to 2014-15, where he helped mold Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook into superstars. Those Thunder teams never got back to the NBA Finals after falling to the Miami Heat in 2012 as an uber-talented upstart, though, beset by a series of untimely injuries.
Despite both Westbrook and Bradley Beal publicly advocating for his return, Brooks parted ways with Washington on June 16 after failing to come to terms on a new contract. Beal lamented Brooks' departure on Wednesday while speaking with reporters from USA Basketball training camp.
"When I first got the news, it was tough. Scotty was great," he said, per NBC Sports Washington' Chase Hughes.
"He allowed more freedom into the game, me handling the ball and making plays, driving me to be who I am today. I always tell him I'm appreciative of that. Whether I'm rocking against you in another conference, or whatever it is your future holds. I was appreciative of our time, regardless of what people may say. You were great."
Over 12 seasons as a head coach, Brooks' teams amassed a 521-414 (.557) record in the regular season and 49-48 (.505) record during the playoffs.