Trail Blazers Announce Terry Stotts As Next Head Coach

Terry Stotts Hired As Portland Trail Blazers Head Coach

The Portland Trail Blazers have finally found their new head coach, as the team announced Tuesday they have hired Terry Stotts to be the 14th coach in franchise history. Stotts had been an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks since 2008.

"Terry is one of the elite offensive minds in the NBA, has extensive experience with multiple organizations and was instrumental in the Dallas Mavericks winning the 2011 NBA Championship," Blazers general manager Neil Olshey said in a team statement. "He understands the vision for the future of the franchise, appreciates the process involved and will create an environment on the court that will produce championship habits."

Stotts has been an NBA head coach twice before, serving with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2005 to 2007 and coaching the Atlanta Hawks from 2002 to 2004. He has a 115-168 career coaching record.

"I'm very pleased to be a part of a great franchise in a beautiful city with such a proud history," Stotts said. "I look forward to working hard with Neil and our players toward the ultimate goal of bringing another championship to Portland."

For more on the Blazers, head to Blazers Edge.

Terry Stotts, Kaleb Canales Named Portland Trail Blazers Coaching Finalists

The Portland Trail Blazers fired Nate McMillan in the middle of last season and, ever since, they've made it clear that they're looking for a new head coach. The search took a bit of a break while they worked on hiring Neil Olshey as the team's new general manager, but it's been back on in full force since last month's NBA Summer League.

In Vegas, the team had plans to interview ten candidates for their vacant position while interim head coach Kaleb Canales -- a former video coordinating intern -- helmed their Summer League squad. It seems they're pretty comfortable with Canales, too, as the Oregonian reports the team's head coaching finalists are him and Dallas Mavericks assistant Terry Stotts.

The Trail Blazers' head coach next season will either be Terry Stotts or Kaleb Canales, The Oregonian has learned, after general manager Neil Olshey on Wednesday informed Steve Clifford and Elston Turner that they are no longer finalists.

This was a pretty lengthy process to settle on their in-house guy and a veteran like Stotts, but at least Portland seems to have done its due diligence.

For more on the Blazers, head to Blazers Edge.

Portland Trail Blazers' Coaching Search Down To 4 Finalists

After reportedly interviewing 10 candidates for their open head coaching job, the Portland Trail Blazers have narrowed down their search to four finalists.

According to Jason Quick at The Oregonian, Terry Stotts, Elston Turner, Steve Clifford and Kaleb Canales are the final four, and all are expected to meet with newly hired general manager Neal Olshey next week. At that point a final recommendation will be made to team owner Paul Allen.

Unless you're an NBA reporter or spend your nights sifting through coaching staff lists from around the league, it's likely that none of these names stick out.

While Canales has been acting as the team's interim head coach since Nate McMillan was fired on March 15, only Terry Stottes possesses significant NBA head coaching experience, going 114-168 in four seasons as coach the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks.

But the team could decide to promote from within, turning to the 34-year-old Canales who has risen from team video intern in 2005 to assistant head coach in 2010 and dabbled in head coaching experience to close out this past season and while out in Vegas for the NBA's Rookie Summer League.

For more on the Blazers, head to Blazers Edge.

Trail Blazers Have Interviewed 10 Candidates For Head Coaching Job, According To Report

The Portland Trail Blazers were led by interim head coach Kaleb Canales during the NBA Summer League, but while he was doing that, the team's front office was interviewing potential head coaching candidates as the basketball world converged on lovely Las Vegas.

And there were quite a few candidates being interviewed, too.

New general manager Neil Olshey was in town to talk to as many potential coaches as possible and, according to the Oregonian, those candidates come from all over the NBA.

The candidates who are known to have interviewed with Olshey are Indiana assistant Brian Shaw; Golden State assistant Michael Malone; Dallas assistant Terry Stotts; Memphis assistant David Joerger; former Orlando assistant Steve Clifford, who is nearing a deal to be an assistant in Chicago; Phoenix assistant Elston Turner; Atlanta assistant Lester Conner; Miami assistant David Fizdale, Chicago assistant Adrian Griffin and former Knicks and Phoenix assistant Phil Weber.

The search doesn't seem to be ending any time soon, but it seems to have at least taken another step forward while the Blazers' brass was down in Vegas.

For more on the Blazers, head to Blazers Edge.

Trail Blazers Rejected By Jerry Sloan

The Portland Trail Blazers haven't had a smooth offseason. They offered Roy Hibbert a max contract only to have it matched by the Indiana Pacers, the Minnesota Timberwolves essentially forced them to pay $46 million for Nicolas Batum — after signing former franchise darling Brandon Roy away from them — and on top of everything else, they still don't have a coach.

New GM Neil Olshey, the one acquisition that's gone right for the Blazers this offseason, experienced some of this hardship personally. According to The Oregonian's Jason Quick, he flew all the way to Salt Lake City to offer Jerry Sloan the Blazers' vacant head coaching spot, only to have the 70-year-old former Jazz coach call him on his way back to Portland to tell him no dice.

All is not lost for the Blazers, however. Though Sloan was No. 1 with a bullet on their list of candidates, Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, whom has been pegged as a future head coach for years now, has been given permission to interview with Olshey, according to The Sports Xchange. Shaw has previously interviewed for the Lakers and Bobcats coaching vacancies, and is reported to be a candidate in Orlando.

Other candidates for the Blazers job, according to Quick, are some of the league's top assistant coaches, including the Warriors' Michael Malone, the Spurs' Mike Budenholzer and interim head coach Kaleb Canales. Canales is coaching the Blazers' summer league team in Las Vegas.

For more on the Blazers, head to Blazers Edge.

Portland Trail Blazers Coaching Search To Take Place At Vegas Summer League

The Portland Trail Blazers hired a new general manager in Neil Olshey this summer and recently lost team president Larry Miller back to the shoe business, so it seems safe to say that the team has had a bit of an upheaval this offseason.

The world will find out if that upheaval will also extend to the coaching staff next week, as the Blazers plan to interview candidates for the head coaching position currently being held down by interim coach Kaleb Canales. Canales is still in the running to keep his job, but The Oregonian's Jason Quick reports that Olshey plans to interview candidates in Vegas at the NBA Summer League.

"We have vetted all the candidates, and we have our list," Olshey said. "I will have some clarity at the end of the week in terms of names that will be on the interview list. Right now, I plan on conducting interviews in Vegas. It's the atmosphere most conducive to a search. we can see almost all the guys, who are on staffs, so we can bang through it pretty quickly and efficiently."

Quick expects the candidates to include all of the usual assistants -- Indiana's Brian Shaw, Golden State's Mike Malone, Miami's David Fizdale, Oklahoma City's Rex Kalamian, San Antonio's Mike Budenholzer and Memphis' Dave Joerger -- but it remains to be seen if other candidates will emerge.

For now, Canales will serve as the team's head coach in Vegas with former NBA players Dan Dickau and Hersey Hawkins serving as his assistants.

For more on the Blazers, head to Blazers Edge.

Portland Trail Blazers Coaching Search Will Be Conducted 'Behind Closed Doors'

The Portland Trail Blazers ended last season with Kaleb Canales as the team's interim head coach after firing Nate McMillan, but the team isn't sure who will be manning the sidelines next season. New general manager Neil Olshey had said Canales is the in-house favorite when he was hired earlier this offseason, but the Blazers are conducting a coaching search regardless.

The team won't make it a public affair, though -- perhaps learning from the Charlotte Bobcats -- as Olshey told The Columbian at pre-draft workouts this week that the search will take place behind closed doors.

Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey asserted Monday that when it comes to the team's coaching search, most of it is going to play out "behind closed doors," which of course means the media will have to do some reading between the lines. And if there was any thing to decode recently, it may be that Kaleb Canales is not quite the "in-house" favorite Olshey declared him to be when took the job earlier this month.

Olshey didn't speak specifically, but he did say Monday that the search would be "exhaustive" and that there are "guys we're targeting." Could Canales be one of those guys? Sure. But while much of the public may have thought this anyway, it doesn't quite appear to be his job to lose.

There are quite a few qualified candidates out there, but if Olshey's going to stay tight-lipped on the process, this search might be difficult to follow until they've found their finalist.

For more on the Blazers, head to Blazers Edge.

Neil Olshey Signs 3-Year Contract To Become Blazers' GM, According To Report

Neil Olshey's new contract to be the Portland Trail Blazers' general manager is a three-year deal with a team option for the fourth year, reports Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest. Olshey, who had initially agreed to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers for one more year before abruptly bolting to sign with the Blazers, took the deal instead of letting the Clippers get a chance to match it.

Sources say the Trail Blazers reached out to Olshey over the weekend and offered him a three-year deal with a team option on the fourth.

The Clippers were willing to match whatever the Trail Blazers threw out there, but ultimately Olshey decided to take his talents to Portland.

Concerns over salary appear to be what eventually drove Olshey to Portland. According to Haynes and other reporters, Olshey was one of the lowest-paid general managers in the league last year and was even being paid month-to-month. This all despite being the man who, with a lot of help of course, orchestrated the blockbuster Chris Paul trade.

For more on the Blazers, head to Blazers Edge. For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation and SB Nation Los Angeles.

There's No Middle Ground With New Blazers GM Neil Olshey

Neil Olshey won't find stability with the Blazers, but he will have a cache of resources at his disposal in comparison with his time with the Clippers. But what will Portland get in Olshey?

Neil Olshey Named Blazers General Manager

Mere minutes after reports emerged that Clippers GM Neil Olshey would leave Los Angeles and be offered the job as the Portland Trail Blazers' general manager, the Blazers have announced Olshey as their general manager.

Blazers owner Paul Allen, who was reportedly at the center of a conflict that led to former Portland GM Rich Cho being forced out in the 2011 offseason, really seems to like Olshey.

"He has the skills and the vision to successfully guide our organization into a new era of Trail Blazers basketball. He’s proven that he can quickly turn around a franchise, and we are confident he can do that in Portland."

Olshey's turnaround in Los Angeles took the Clippers from having the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft to winning a postseason series for just the second time in franchise history in the 2011-12 season.

For more on the Blazers, head to Blazers Edge. For more on the Clippers, visit Clips Nation and SB Nation Los Angeles.

Neil Olshey Leaving Clippers, Will Reportedly Be Offered Blazers GM Job

Clippers general manager Neil Olshey, responsible for swinging the trade that brought Chris Paul to Los Angeles, is now on his way out of Orange County. Olshey and the Clippers are parting ways, the team has announced, and ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz reports that Olshey will likely head up the West Coast to Portland.

Olshey and the Clippers had previously agreed in principle on a contract extension that would have kept him as Los Angeles' vice president of basketball operations and general manager, but the Clippers say they and Olshey "mutually agreed to end discussions concerning Olshey's future with the team."

Arnovitz reports that Olshey will be offered the general manager position by Portland. Olshey had previously met with the Trail Blazers in London, and was reportedly a finalist to become Portland's first big-name GM since Rich Cho was released in the 2011 offseason.

Olshey had been with the Clippers for almost a decade, and was the architect of the "Lob City" Clips, having drafted Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan, and flipped Gordon to the New Orleans Hornets in the deal that brought Paul to the bright lights of Los Angeles.

For more on the Clippers, who seem pretty well fixed on that "being the second-best team in Los Angeles" thing, visit Clips Nation and SB Nation Los Angeles.

Neil Olshey Interviews With Portland Trail Blazers About GM Job, According To Report

VIDEO: What's Next For Portland Trail Blazers After Firing Nate McMillan?

Nets Have A Terrible Explanation For Draft Pick Protection In Blazers Trade

Blazers Might Not Hire Coach, GM Before 2012 NBA Draft

The Portland Trail Blazers lit a few sticks of dynamite on Thursday, canning longtime coach Nate McMillan, trading Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby for parts that won't help the team this season and waiving Greg Oden. Portland seems to be in full-on tank mode, and now figures to have two lottery picks: its own and the top-3 protected pick sent by the Nets in the Wallace deal.

But by the time the draft rolls around in three months, the Blazers may not have a coach or a general manager. (Head scout Chad Buchanan has been running the show on an interim basis.) From Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge, who tuned into what Blazers president Larry Miller had to say:

Blazers president Larry Miller wouldn't commit to hiring a GM and/or coach prior to the 2012 NBA Draft.

Makes sense. After all, the Blazers have been without a GM for almost a year. You don't really need a coach until training camp next October. Might as well take your time and let the interim staff handle everything.

Portland Trail Blazers Waive Greg Oden To Clear Roster Space

The Portland Trail Blazers waived Greg Oden on Thursday, according to Ken Berger at CBS. The move was made in order for the Blazers to clear roster space for players added at the trade deadline.

Oden, the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft, has spent the better part of his career dealing with injuries. He is out for this season after having microfracture surgery on his left knee back in February. Oden has not played in a game since Dec. 5, 2009.

The Blazers sent Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets on Thursday in exchange for Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and a top-three-protected first-round draft pick in 2012. A trade with the Houston Rockets netted Portland Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet and a second-round pick in 2012.

Oden was signed to a one-year deal prior to this season.

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Portland Trail Blazers Fire Head Coach Nate McMillan, According To Report

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NBA Trade Rumors: Portland Trail Blazers Don't Trade Raymond Felton, Jamal Crawford At Deadline

The Portland Trail Blazers were pretty busy during the NBA trade deadline, dealing Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby in an attempt to sell the farm. The Blazers wanted to be even more active, but were reportedly unable to find the right deal for a couple of their guards they were shopping:

Crawford was included in the most rumors and was supposedly involved in a deadline deal that fell through. The Blazers simply couldn't find any takers for Felton.

For more on the Portland Trail Blazers, visit Blazer's Edge. All your NBA trade deadline needs can be found at our NBA trade rumors StoryStream.

NBA Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets Acquire Marcus Camby From Portland Trail Blazers

The Houston Rockets have acquired the size they were seeking from the Portland Trail Blazers during the NBA trade deadline's 11th hour. According to Yahoo!'s Mark J. Spears, the Rockets acquired soon-to-be 38-year-old center Marcus Camby from the Blazers in exchange for youth in center Hasheem Thabeet, guard Jonny Flynn and a 2012 second-round pick.

The Rockets had been pursuing Camby for a long while and Houston was reportedly Camby's preference of destinations should he be traded. Camby is averaging six points and over 14 rebounds per 36 minutes this season, his 16th in the league.

The Trail Blazers already sent Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets today and are still hoping to trade shooting guard Jamal Crawford.

For more on the Houston Rockets, check out The Dream Shake. For the Blazers' side of things, visit Blazer's Edge. All your NBA trade deadline needs can be found at our NBA trade rumors StoryStream.

NBA Trade Rumors: Portland Trail Blazers Agree In Principle To Deal Gerald Wallace To New Jersey Nets

A deal was reportedly "close" less than an hour ago and now it appears official that the Portland Trail Blazers will be sending All-Star forward Gerald Wallace to the New Jersey Nets before the trade deadline. According to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported the rumor, the Nets will acquire Wallace in exchange for Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and a protected first round pick. The first round pick is reportedly protected through the third pick.

It's clear the New Jersey Nets are trying to surround Deron Williams with talent, hoping he won't opt out of the final year of his contract this summer.

Wallace is averaging 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, which are his lowest totals in several years.

For more on the Blazers, visit Blazer's Edge. For the Nets take on trade deadline news, visit NetsDaily. Lastly, you can find all the NBA trade rumors here at our NBA Trade Rumors StoryStream.

NBA Trade Rumors: Portland Trail Blazers Reportedly 'Close' To Dealing Gerald Wallace To New Jersey Nets

The Portland Trail Blazers' Gerald Wallace hasn't been the subject of very many NBA trade rumors, but according to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Blazers and New Jersey Nets are "close" to a deal involving the 29-year-old, one-time All-Star forward:

Wojnarowski suggests the Nets would send the Blazers Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and a protected 1st round pick in exchange for Wallace. Moments ago Wojnarowski reported that the Nets have Blazers' shooting guard Jamal Crawford on their radar, so it's possible that this nearing deal will also include him.

Wallace is having a bit of a down year, averaging 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, his lowest totals in years.

For more on the Blazers, visit Blazer's Edge. For the Nets take on trade deadline news, visit NetsDaily. Lastly, you can find all the NBA trade rumors here at our NBA Trade Rumors StoryStream.