Tiago Splitter returns to the NBA as a Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach after leading Paris Basketball to the EuroLeague Playoffs. The former Spurs champion brings global experience and rising coaching credentials to Chauncey Billups' revamped staff in Portland.
Tiago Splitter is embracing the next chapter of his coaching journey—and it brings him back to the NBA.
Fresh off a standout season with Paris Basketball, where he defied expectations by leading the French club to the EuroLeague playoffs, Splitter is set to join Chauncey Billups’ staff with the Portland Trail Blazers. The report was first broken by Chema de Lucas and later confirmed by league sources.
The move marks a homecoming of sorts for the 40-year-old Brazilian, who carved out a strong reputation in the league both as a player and, more recently, as a developmental coach.
After retiring as a player in 2017, the former big man—best known for his championship-winning role with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014—began his coaching career in Brooklyn, working under the Nets from 2019 to 2023. He spent the 2023–24 season with the Houston Rockets before making the leap to a head coaching role with Paris.
Blazers shake up coaching staff
Portland continues to restructure its bench after extending Chauncey Billups’ contract this spring. Along with Splitter, the Blazers are adding former Grizzlies lead assistant Patrick St. Andrews and Stockton Kings championship coach Quinton Crawford to their staff. This comes after the April departures of assistants Roy Rogers, Chris Fleming, and Ryan Gomes.
St. Andrews, who spent the past season as Taylor Jenkins' top assistant in Memphis, brings additional NBA experience from Atlanta and Milwaukee, as well as international time with the Dominican Republic National Team. Meanwhile, Crawford’s recent G League title with Sacramento’s affiliate adds further momentum to Portland’s offseason retooling.
