The NBA’s California franchises have made news in the last 24 hours, scooping up a pair of former Portland Trail Blazers head coaches as assistants. Yesterday the Golden State Warriors hired Terry Stotts as their lead assistant. Today the Los Angeles Lakers have brought coach Nate McMillan on board to help rookie bench boss J,J, Redick.
The Blazers have their own coach, of course, in Chauncey Billups. But Billups is on the last year of his contract and the team hasn’t picked up the extension that would secure him into 2025-26. The roster is in wait-and-see mode, with modest changes in the offing for the coming season.