Report: Blazers hiring Scott Brooks as top assistant

The Portland Trail Blazers are nearing a deal to hire Scott Brooks as the top assistant to new head coach Chauncey Billups, ESPN reported Friday.

Brooks, 55, was head coach of the Washington Wizards for the past five seasons. The two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new contract and parted ways on June 16.

Brooks led the Wizards to a 34-38 record and a playoff appearance as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference this season. They lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the first round.

Brooks compiled a 183-207 record with three postseason berths in five seasons in the nation's capital. Before that, he went 338-207 with five playoff appearances in seven seasons as coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-15).

He was named the NBA Coach of the Year in 2009-10 and guided the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2011-12, losing to the Miami Heat in five games.

Portland hired Billups on June 28 to replace Terry Stotts, who went 402-318 with eight playoff appearances in nine seasons with the Blazers.

Billups, 44, has never been a head coach. He played 17 seasons in the NBA and spent the 2020-21 campaign as a first-year assistant coach with the Los Angeles Clippers, who advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

(Field Level Media)