Breaking: Chauncey Billups hired as head coach of Portland Trail Blazers

First reported by Shams Charania on Friday night, the Portland Trail Blazers have hired Chauncey Billups to be their head coach.

Billups will join Portland following the L.A. Clippers title chase. The 2004 Finals MVP had never coached in his career until he was hired as an assistant on Tyronn Lue’s staff in 2020. NBA front offices had previously piqued his interest, as he was a candidate for a couple head coaching jobs last hiring cycle and had been a finalist for the GM role on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017.

The five-time All-Star will be coaching arguably the best point guard in the NBA. Damian Lillard publicly stated that he wanted the Blazers to hire either Billups or Jason Kidd, the latter of whom was just hired as the next Dallas Mavericks head coach.

Billups will inherit a talented roster that ran into a wall under Terry Stotts, losing in the first round in four of the last five seasons. It’s unclear what style of basketball Billups will favor, or even how much stylistic control he will exert with Lillard running the offense, but he is known as a great basketball mind and an even better leader.

Congrats, Chauncey!