Speaking Monday to reporters, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin confirmed that the team is committed to Chauncey Billups as its head coach and indicated that the plan is to have Billups return for the 2024-25 season ( Twitter links via Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report and Bill Oram of The Oregonian).
Cronin referred to Billups as “an incredible leader in this organization,” per Oram.
There had been some speculation that Billups was on the hot seat in Portland after a third consecutive disappointing season for the Blazers. Since he took over for Terry Stotts in 2021, Billups has led the club to an 81-165 (.329) regular season record, with no more than 33 wins in any season.
Portland submitted a 21-61 record in 2023-24, the worst mark in the Western Conference. The club finished the season ranked 29th in offensive rating (107.6) and 23rd in defensive rating (116.6).
Still, those disappointing results can’t be entirely attributed to Billups. The Blazers have traded away several veteran starters since he was hired, including Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, among others.
Additionally, Portland has had bad injury luck in recent years and has been without multiple key contributors in each season — in 2023-24, Scoot Henderson, Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Malcolm Brogdon, Shaedon Sharpe and Robert Williams all missed at least 20 games.
When the Blazers hired Billups in 2021, they agreed to a five-year contract that included four guaranteed seasons, so he’ll be entering his final guaranteed year in 2024-25, with the club holding an option for ’25-26.
More must-reads: