Chicago Bulls Hire Former Portland Trail Blazers Interim HC Tiago Splitter

The Portland Trail Blazers' pool of finalists for their vacant head coaching position has seemingly now shrunk to two: Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori and Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook. 

On Monday, the Chicago Bulls hired Portland's interim head coach, Tiago Splitter, per ESPN's Shams Charania. 

Splitter, 41, led the Blazers to a 42-40 record to secure the franchise's first playoff berth in five years following Chauncey Billups' firing in October. 

Per Charania, Chicago chose Splitter due to "his ability to lead the team's player development, organizational alignment on the franchise's direction and vision and his leadership and knowledge base as a coach rising through the ranks since 2018 as well as a seven-year NBA player with one championship with the San Antonio Spurs."

Portland experienced a lull in its head coaching search due to owner Tom Dundon's other professional sports franchise, the Carolina Hurricanes of the NHL, competing for a Stanley Cup. 

The Hurricanes closed out their series against the Las Vegas Knights on Sunday evening, allowing the Blazers' pursuit to resume. 

Dundon has now infamously been on a quest to find a sideline patroller for cheap, reportedly hoping not to exceed a $1.5 million annual price tag. It's currently unknown if that desire had any sort of an impact on Splitter's decision to head to the Windy City. 

Portland is now likely to pivot to either Nori or Lashbrook, as both were reportedly finalists alongside Splitter. 

Nori, 41, has been a candidate for several openings over the years, notably for the New York Knicks' job that ultimately went to Mike Brown last summer. Nori was also in the running for the Los Angeles Lakers', Cleveland Cavaliers' and Detroit Pistons' openings in 2024. 

Chris Finch's lead assistant also recently interviewed for the Chicago gig before the Bulls landed on Splitter. 

Lashbrook, 34, comes from the Joe Mazzulla tree and would instantly be the youngest head coach in the NBA. The Blazers' peers have found success over the years in hiring Mazzulla descendants, including the Utah Jazz with Will Hardy and the Charlotte Hornets with Charles Lee. 

Lashbrook has been key in Boston's player development and also led its G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, to a 21-13 regular season record before reaching the Conference Finals during the 2024-25 campaign. 

Splitter's departure ensures that Portland will not have continuity in the locker room next season, as its young core prepares for its third coaching staff in as many seasons.