NBA Rumors: Timberwolves intersted in Chauncey Billups as assistant coach
By Josh Hill
The Minnesota Timberwolves seem to have finally settled on a head coaching situation — emphasis on settled — and they are now taking themselves off the market. Despite names floating out there like Lionel Hollins, Mark Jackson and others, the Wolves have hired Flip Saunders to coach the team again and have ended their hunt for a new coach.
More from Minnesota Timberwolves
- NBA Rumors: When to expect Karl-Anthony Towns trade talks to heat up
- NBA rumors: Karl-Anthony Towns trade talks will heat up in February
- The new NBA flopping rules explained
- NBA rumors: 4 teams not named Heat or Nets engaged on Damian Lillard trade
- 2023 NBA Free Agency: 5 underrated deals that could shift NBA landscape
With Flip Saunders now officially moving to the bench for the Timberwolves and assuming the position of head coach, the next step is to fill out his staff before moving ahead with dealing with such things as the NBA Draft and Kevin Love trade offers.
According to Marc Stein from ESPN, the Timberwolves are expected to try and hire Chauncey Billups as an assistant coach for Flip Sauders’ new coaching staff in Minnesota.
If Saunders decides to go through with moving downstairs w/Wolves, sources say he is expected to pursue Chauney Billups as assistant coach
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 5, 2014
Billups has been floated around for jobs in the NBA recently, with his name coming up as a possibility for a gig in the Detroit Pistons front office. But what Saunders might be doing here is mentoring Billups for a few years as his assistant before handing the reigns over to him as head coach.
We’ve seen players retire and become head coaches recently, or first time head coaches getting jobs as well. Billups seems to be easing into things and if he’s hired, he may be getting groomed to one day take over the Wolves as head coach.