Report: Scott Brooks Finalizing Contract as Blazers' Asst. Coach on Billups' Staff
July 9, 2021
Former Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks is reportedly finalizing a deal to become an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Brooks will become the lead assistant under new Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups.
Brooks spent the past five seasons as head coach of the Wizards, but the two sides failed to come to terms on a new contract, making Brooks a free agent.
In 12 seasons as an NBA head coach, Brooks owns a regular-season record of 521-414. He led teams to the playoffs on eight occasions, including going to the NBA Finals with the Thunder in 2012.
The Wizards made the playoffs in three of Brooks' five seasons at the helm, including this season when they went 34-38 and snuck in as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Washington fell to the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in the first round in five games, thus ending Brooks' tenure.
Brooks has extensive experience as an assistant coach, serving in that role with the Denver Nuggets for two seasons, the Sacramento Kings for one season and the Seattle SuperSonics/OKC Thunder for two seasons.
The 55-year-old figures to play a key part in the Blazers' success next season, as he will lend support to a first-time NBA head coach.
Billups was a five-time All-Star, one-time NBA champion and one-time NBA Finals MVP as a player, most notably with the Detroit Pistons, but his only coaching experience is one season as an assistant with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Portland hired Billups after firing Terry Stotts, who led the Blazers to the playoffs eight times in his nine seasons as head coach.
The Blazers only made it as far as the Western Conference Finals once, though, leading to their decision to find a new coach.
Brooks has gotten the most out of star players like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal during his time as a head coach, so it stands to reason he could be an asset on a team led by All-Star guard Damian Lillard.