Kidd, Billups & Joerger Among Potential Stotts Replacements

Coach Terry Stotts appears to be on the hot seat as the Trail Blazers careen toward the conclusion of the 2020-21 season. The Blazers have amassed a 36-29 record and they are set to face an uphill battle in the 2021 NBA Playoffs. On the court, Portland has failed to remedy its long-standing defensive issues. That combination of factors led to Stotts’ inclusion inside a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Sam Amick.

In the report from The Athletic, Stotts was listed among the coaches on the chopping block. According to an unnamed source, the Blazers must pull off a considerable playoff run in order to preserve the current coaching setup.

If Stotts can’t “pull a rabbit out of his hat” with a playoff miracle of sorts, as one source put it, the Blazers are expected to opt for a new coaching voice. And the Damian Lillard timeline, it seems, is playing a big part here.

The Athletic’s report went on to explain that Blazers chairwoman Jody Allen has taken an active role in evaluating the organization’s future.

Sources say Blazers chairwoman Jody Allen, who took over for her brother, Paul, when he passed away in October 2018, has become increasingly focused on the Blazers’ future this season. What’s more, the absence of fans inside the Moda Center for so much of the season meant Stotts was being closely monitored by ownership inside a fishbowl environment that didn’t help his cause.

Charania and Amick also delivered a list of potential coaching candidates if Stotts is removed from his post.

Among the potential coaching candidates for the Trail Blazers, sources say: Lakers assistant Jason Kidd, Hawks interim coach Nate McMillan, 76ers assistant Dave Joerger, Clippers assistant Chauncey Billups and Spurs vice president of basketball operations Brent Barry.

Since joining the Blazers in the summer of 2012, Stotts has produced a regular season record of 394-316. That win total trails only Jack Ramsay on the Blazers’ all-time wins list.

You can read the complete report from Charania and Amick at The Athletic (subscription required).