The Portland Trail Blazers’ coaching search just lost one of its most obvious options.
Tiago Splitter, who stepped in as Portland’s acting head coach last season and helped guide the Trail Blazers back to the playoffs, is finalizing a deal to become the Chicago Bulls’ next head coach, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on June 15. Splitter is set to succeed Billy Donovan in Chicago.
Splitter stepped in for the Blazers after former head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested and charged in a federal case involving an alleged Mafia-backed illegal poker operation. Billups has pleaded not guilty, and his case remains pending.
For Portland, this is more than a former interim coach getting a promotion elsewhere. Splitter had been one of the cleaner internal answers for a franchise already moving through major change under new owner Tom Dundon. Now, the Blazers’ next coach will almost certainly come from outside the person who held the locker room together through a turbulent season.
Tiago Splitter’s Exit Removes a Popular Blazers Head Coaching Option
Splitter’s case in Portland was simple: the team responded to him.
Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report wrote in May that Splitter wanted to keep the job and had “widespread support” from Blazers players after a 42-40 season and Portland’s first playoff appearance in five years. Highkin also reported that general manager Joe Cronin confirmed Dundon wanted to conduct a full search, with Splitter still considered a candidate at the time.
That made Splitter both the incumbent and a test case for the new ownership group. The Blazers could have rewarded continuity after a season that exceeded expectations. Instead, the process stretched long enough for Chicago to move in.
The Bulls job gives Splitter something Portland had not yet offered: a clear head-coaching runway. For the Blazers, it means the front office no longer has the option of circling back to the coach who already had relationships with the roster, familiarity with the organization and a recent season of proof.
Tom Dundon’s First Blazers Search Now Gets More Complicated
Dundon’s arrival has made the Blazers’ offseason feel bigger than a standard coaching change. The Blazers were expected to look at multiple candidates, and Dundon’s track record in the NHL with his Carolina Hurricanes showed he was willing to shake things up.
Now, there is no against-Splitter comparison left.
That puts more pressure on Dundon and Portland’s basketball leadership to land on a coach who can explain a clear plan: how the Blazers will develop young talent, how quickly they expect to push back into the Western Conference playoff picture and what kind of accountability the new owner wants from the sideline.
The timing also stands out because Dundon has been managing two franchise-defining moments at once. His Carolina Hurricanes just won the 2026 Stanley Cup, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in six games for the franchise’s second title.
Now that the Hurricanes’ run is over, Portland’s search should move from wide-ranging to decisive.
Blazers Need More Than a Placeholder Hire
Splitter leaving does not mean the Blazers made the wrong choice by taking a full look at the market. It does mean there is less room for a soft landing.
If Portland hires a veteran coach, the sell will be structure and credibility. If the Blazers hire a younger or lower-profile candidate, the sell must be player development, modern offense and alignment with the front office. Either way, Dundon’s first major basketball hire will tell fans something about how he views the franchise’s timeline.
The lesson from Splitter’s departure is not simply that Portland lost a candidate. It is that useful internal options do not stay available forever.
Splitter stabilized the Blazers well enough to become attractive to another NBA team. Chicago is now betting on that. Portland has to make sure its patience produces something better than the coach it just watched leave.
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