Lead Assistant Candidates Emerge for New-Look Trail Blazers Staff

Chauncey Billups was hired as the head coach of Trail Blazers on June 27, 2021 and now assistants have emerged to be by the first-time head coaches side.

Sources: Candidates for lead assistant role for Portland Trail Blazers and new head coach Chauncey Billups: Former Bulls/Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, ex-Wizards/Thunder coach Scott Brooks and Lakers assistant Lionel Hollins.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2021

Experience emerges as a trend for the assistant position. Vinny Del Negro: a five-year NBA head coach from 2008-2013, Scott Brooks: head coach of the Thunder (2008-2015) and Wizards (2016-2021) plus an NBA Coach of the Year award to his name, and Lionel Hollins: Coaching in the NBA since 1988 and a head coach most recently from 2009-2016 with the Grizzlies and Nets.

Hollins is currently employed as an assistant with the Lakers and has a connection to Portland winning the 1977 NBA Championship as a Trail Blazer player.