5 potential replacements for Terry Stotts as Trail Blazers head coach

2. Chauncey Billups

Toward the end of his time working for ESPN, Billups started to surface as a candidate for coaching and front office positions in the league. This year, the one-time Finals MVP joined Tyronn Lue’s staff for his first job as an assistant coach.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski immediately mentioned Billups as a candidate for the Trail Blazers job. The Athletic’s Jason Quick and Shams Charania (subscription required) have added that Lillard has Billups high on his list of potential new coaches.

Billups is well-regarded for his basketball IQ, which explains why teams have wanted him for coaching and management posts. As Sam Quinn of CBS Sports noted, he had a high level of success but was also a journeyman early in his career as a player. That means he should be able to connect with any player up and down a roster. Portland certainly has a pecking order, starting with Lillard, so other guys have to be able to accept a role they may not always like.

Most importantly for the Trail Blazers, assuming they’d like to appease their star, Billups comes with Lillard’s stamp of approval. The fact his name has surfaced so quickly is absolutely meaningful.