Fresh off leading Portland to a surprising playoff berth, the former NBA champion arrives in Chicago to revitalize the storied franchise with high draft capital and significant cap space.
The Chicago Bulls have hired their next head coach.
Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Bulls are bringing in former Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter to take the reins after former head coach Billy Donovan stepped down after six years with the team.
For more from the local perspective on the new head coach in Chicago, Bulls Roundtable writer Gavin Dorsey has the latest.
The former Trail Blazers coach took over in a tumultuous situation during the 2025-26 NBA season wherein he served as interim after intended head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested in connection with a high-profile gambling investigation.
Splitter took over and led the Blazers to their first playoff appearance since 2021, finishing the season with a 42-40 record and earning the Western Conference's 7-seed in the process.
The 41-year-old coach, who is also a three-time All-EuroLeague Team player and 2014 NBA Champion, now gets his first full-time coaching gig leading a promising Bulls team that will draft No. 4 overall in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Splitter has shown that he can quickly help lead a team to postseason contention regardless of that club's recent performances or the expectations around it and will now look to do the same with one of the most storied franchises in the Association.
Not only do the Bulls have some premium draft capital going into his first season, but they also have a ton of building opportunities in free agency. The team has a number of open spots up for grabs and is carrying only one player (guard Josh Giddey) that has a cap hit of more than $18 million.
With their new head coach in line, the Bulls have some serious capital to work with over the course of the offseason.
