NBA Rumors: Chauncey Billups' Blazers Status Eyed by Teams; Would Be HC Candidate

Other NBA teams are "monitoring" the status of Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups after the team fired two assistants including Billups' brother, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reported.

If Billups and the Blazers part ways, he would "quickly emerge as a candidate for other jobs," Mannix wrote.

Aaron Fentress reported Monday for The Oregonian that the Blazers were not renewing the contracts of top assistant Scott Brooks or development and defense specialist Rodney Billups.

Billups has led the Trail Blazers for three seasons and amassed an 81-165 overall record as head coach.

Portland general manager Joe Cronin previously indicated the team plans to retain Billups for the 2024-25 season, per Bill Oram of The Oregonian.

Their dismissal of Billups' brother, who joined the Blazers' staff in the middle of Billups' first season as head coach, has brought Cronin's statement into question.

The Blazers' previous coach, Terry Stotts, left the team after nine seasons at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

At the time, Portland just been eliminated from the first round of the 2021 playoffs, marking the team's fourth early exit in five postseasons.

The Blazers then hired Billups in an attempt to turn the franchise around and give star guard Damian Lillard a run at a title.

Portland then missed the playoffs for the next two seasons and ended up trading Lillard to truly begin a rebuild.

The Blazers have a few promising younger players in Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons, and the team will hope for a stronger sophomore campaign after an underwhelming rookie season from Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 pick of the 2023 draft.

Portland now has a shot at another top-three pick, and could even potentially win No. 1, when the NBA Draft Lottery takes place Sunday. These up-and-coming stars will give Billups, or his potential replacement, a shot at leading an improved Blazers roster toward postseason contention in 2024-25.

The Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards both have coaching vacancies and would be teams to keep an eye on if Billups leaves the Blazers. The Los Angeles Lakers have another opening, although they have been tied to other potential candidates.