Chauncey Billups’ future with the Portland Trail Blazers is precarious at best following his arrest Thursday for allegedly participating in rigged poker games.
The Blazers and the NBA placed Billups on leave and assistant coach Tiago Splitter has been named interim head coach.
Should the Blazers fire Billups, they likely won’t name a permanent replacement until new owner Tom Dundon officially takes ownership of the franchise. That is not expected to happen until the spring of 2026.
General manager Joe Cronin, should he be retained, would be making his first head coaching hire, given that he inherited Billups after taking over for Neil Olshey in December 2022.
Below is a look at 12 potential candidates to become the Trail Blazers’ next coach, listed in alphabetical order:
. . .
James Borrego
James Borrego
New Orleans Pelicans acting head coach James Borrego calls out from the bench in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks in New Orleans, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)AP
Age: 47.
Record: 148-183, five seasons.
Experience: Borrego, the associate head coach with the New Orleans Pelicans, became the first Latino head coach in NBA history.
He spent one partial season as the head coach with Orlando (2014-2015) and four full seasons in the same role with Charlotte (2018-2022).
In four seasons with the Hornets, Borrego compiled a 138-163 record. His best season was also his last. Charlotte fired Borrego after a 43-39 season.
Borrego has been a finalist for recent openings in Cleveland, Detroit and with the Los Angeles Lakers.
. . .
Mike Budenholzer
Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer watches during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) APAP
Age: 56.
Record: 520-263, 10 seasons.
Experience: Budenholzer, a two-time coach of the year, is best remembered for his five-year run with the Milwaukee Bucks and superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo that culminated in a championship in 2021.
After being fired by the Bucks following the 2022-23 season (58-24), he sat out a season before taking over the Phoenix Suns in 2024. That marriage lasted just one season, resulting in a 36-46 record while coaching Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
. . .
Sam Cassell
Sam Cassell
Boston Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell in the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)AP
Age: 55.
Record: None.
Experience: Cassell, a former NBA point guard who won three championships, is in his third season as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics and his 17th in the NBA as a coach.
As Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla’s lead assistant, Cassell helped Boston win the 2024 NBA championship.
. . .
Becky Hammon
Becky Hammon
ESPN NBA analyst Jay Williams said the San Antonio Spurs should seriously consider hiring Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon.(AP Photo/Corey Sipkin)
Age: 48.
Record: 117-43, four WNBA seasons.
Experience: Hammon interviewed with the Blazers as a finalist in 2021, before then-team president Neil Olshey hired Billups.
She served seven seasons as an assistant to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio before becoming the head coach of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces in 2022.
Hammon has won three championships in four seasons, including last season.
. . .
Taylor Jenkins
Trail Blazers vs. Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins yells out to his team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)AP
Age: 41.
Record: 250-214, six seasons.
Experience: Jenkins was a rising star with the Memphis Grizzlies before things began to fall apart two seasons ago, after superstar guard Ja Morant got into trouble with the league and then suffered an injury. That all led to a 27-55 record during the 2023-24 season.
Memphis rebounded to go 44-29 last season but fired Jenkins before the end of the season despite him being the franchise’s all-time winningest coach.
. . .
Michael Malone
Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone holds the conference championship trophy after Game 4 of the NBA basketball Western Conference Final series against the Los Angeles Lakers Monday, May 22, 2023, in Los Angeles. Denver won 113-111 to win the series. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)AP
Age: 54.
Record: 510-394, 12 seasons.
Experience: Malone might be the top coaching candidate available. He was fired late last season by the Denver Nuggets after compiling a 471-327 record over 10 seasons, including six playoff appearances. One of those appearances resulted in an NBA title in 2023.
Reasons for Malone’s firing revolved around a rift with general manager Calvin Booth, who was also fired.
Malone would be a splash hire who could energize the Blazers’ fanbase.
. . .
Micah Nori
Micah Nori
Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori gestures in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Friday, March 8, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)AP
Age: 51.
Record: None.
Experience: Nori has 17 seasons of NBA assistant coaching experience. He is in his fifth season with the Minnesota Timberwolves after coaching with Toronto, Sacramento, Denver with Malone, and Detroit.
He has interviewed for head coaching positions with the Lakers and the New York Knicks.
. . .
Chris Quinn
Miami Heat v Utah Jazz
Erik Spoelstra head coach of the Miami Heat talks with assistant coach Chris Quinn during the second half of their game against the Utah Jazz December 31, 2022 at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)Getty Images
Age: 42.
Record: None.
Experience: Quinn has spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat, and this season was named associate head coach.
Quinn is Miami coach Erik Spoelstra’s lead assistant and has been described by many as a carbon copy of Spoelstra.
Before becoming a coach, Quinn played six seasons in the NBA as a point guard, including five with the Heat.
. . .
Tiago Splitter
Portland Trail Blazers practice
Trail Blazers rookie center Yang Hansen (center), alongside translator Chris Liu, gets instructions from assistant coach Tiago Splitter (right) during the first practice of training camp at at the team’s practice facility in Tualatin on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
Age: 40.
Record: None.
Experience: Splitter is about to start an on-the-job audition for the job as the interim head coach.
However, he has little experience to lean on. Splitter spent three seasons with the Brooklyn Nets before coaching the Houston Rockets last season. He spent all four years in player development.
In between those stints, Splitter coached the Paris Basketball Club in 2024, leading the team to a French Basketball Cup championship.
Billups hired the former NBA center to help rev up the Blazers’ offense.
. . .
Tom Thibodeau
Knicks Pacers Basketball
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau yells from the sideline during the first half of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)AP
Age: 67.
Record: 578-420, 13 seasons.
Experience: Thibodeau had successful runs with the Chicago Bulls (255-239 over five seasons) and, most recently, with the New York Knicks (226-174 over five seasons).
The Knicks let Thibodeau go following a disappointing 4-2 series loss to Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Thibodeau is a defensive-minded coach who helped lead Boston to a championship during the 2007-08 season.
He also reached the Eastern Conference finals during the 2010-11 season with superstar guard Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls, who had the best record in the NBA at 62-20.
Thibodeau was named NBA Coach of the Year twice, with Chicago in 2011 and with New York in 2012.
. . .
Frank Vogel
Frank Vogel
Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23)celebrates with coach Frank Vogel after the Lakers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in an NBA basketball game Thursday, July 30, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Mike Ehrmann/Pool Photo via AP)AP
Age: 52.
Record: 480-422, 12 seasons.
Experience: Vogel, now an assistant coach with Dallas, went 250-181 with Indiana, struggled with rebuilding Orlando for two seasons, going 54-110, and then landed with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Coaching LeBron James, Vogel guided the Lakers to the 2020 NBA championship.
Two seasons later, the Lakers fired Vogel. He was subsequently hired by Phoenix, where he led the team to a 49-33 record before being fired.
. . .
Monty Williams
Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons head coach Monty Williams watches against the Chicago Bulls in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Detroit, Thursday, April 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) APAP
Age: 54.
Record: 381-404, 10 seasons.
Experience: Williams is best remembered for guiding the Phoenix Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals, where they lost to Budenholzer and the Bucks.
The Suns let Williams go in 2023 and he landed with Detroit, signing a six-year, $78.5 million deal.
Detroit fired Williams after one season (14-68). The Pistons replaced Williams with J.B. Bickerstaff, who led the team to a 44-38 record last season.
Williams and Billups are close friends.
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