Why Tiago Splitter's Chances of Keeping Blazers Job Are Fading

The Portland Trail Blazers are still without a permanent head coach for the upcoming season and are one of four teams still with a vacancy.

The Blazers have a likeable choice in interim head coach Tiago Splitter, who took over for Chauncey Billups after the team's first game following his arrest, but the team's decision to extend the waiting process makes it seem like the former Brazilian center is not returning to Portland next season.

Splitter Seems Unlikely to Return

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Tiago Splitter during the second half of game two. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Splitter took over for Billups after the first game of the season and led the Blazers to their best season since 2021. The Blazers made the playoffs, ending a five-year drought, and earned the seventh seed after beating the Phoenix Suns in the play-in tournament.

They lost in five games to the San Antonio Spurs, but Splitter clearly made a lot of progress with the group. That could have easily been rewarded with a promotion and an extension. The fact that it hasn't happened yet suggests that the Blazers may be going in a different direction.

Why Blazers Want Change

New Blazers owner Tom Dundon is putting his stamp on the franchise. He is laying off around 70 employees and making decisions that he feels are best for the overall business. There have also been reports that Dundon is not wanting to pay an NBA head coach the average salary in the NBA, which could knock Splitter out of the candidate group.

It remains to be seen if Dundon is going to be cheap when it comes to hiring his new coach, but it would make sense for him to hire his personal choice rather than inherit the incumbent.

Who Could Blazers Hire to Replace Splitter?

The Blazers have been linked to five candidates other than Splitter. Utah Jazz assistant Mike Williams, Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook, 18-year NBA veteran Jerry Stackhouse, Minnesota Timberwolves associate head coach Micah Nori and former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy are among those that have been linked to the opening.

The Blazers could also be linked to Jason Kidd, who mutually agreed to leave the Dallas Mavericks on May 19. Kidd has a long-standing relationship with Dundon, so the Blazers could be the next stop for the Hall-of-Fame guard in his coaching career if he is willing to relocate to the Pacific Northwest to team up with Damian Lillard and Deni Avdija.

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