The Chicago Bulls will hire Tiago Splitter as their next head coach, sources confirmed to The Athletic on Monday.
After in-person interviews this past week, Splitter was selected over a list of finalists that included Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Atlanta Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt and Wes Unseld Jr., former Bulls coach Billy Donovan’s top assistant in Chicago.
Splitter served as interim coach for the Portland Trail Blazers this past season after head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested in October on suspicion of his involvement in a gambling operation. The team went 42-39 once he took over, advancing to the playoffs after beating the Phoenix Suns to earn the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
Splitter, 41, is lauded for his player development. He spent five seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, first as a pro scout and later as a player development coach before joining Ime Udoka’s staff with the Houston Rockets in 2023. In Portland, the Blazers saw marked growth this season from young players Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, Donovan Clingan, Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love.
After a single season in Houston, Splitter became head coach of Paris Basketball LNB Elite and Euroleague, where he won the French Championship and French Cup. Splitter worked under Billups for roughly four months when he was tabbed to be interim coach.
As a player, the 6-foot-11 Splitter spent the bulk of his seven-year NBA career as a reserve center with the San Antonio Spurs, playing for Gregg Popovich and winning an NBA title in 2014. His best season was 2012-2013 with the Spurs, when he averaged 10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds. He also played for Atlanta and Philadelphia.
Splitter was one of three finalists for Portland’s head coaching position, but was never formally offered the job, according to a team source. He was told he was welcomed to return at a certain price point, which wasn’t agreeable to Splitter and his agent, Andy Miller, which prompted the Blazers to open a search.
With Splitter leaving, the Blazer team source said Portland’s coaching finalists are down to Minnesota assistant Nori and Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook. The Blazers and Dallas Mavericks are the only teams with a coaching vacancy, and if Dallas hires either Nori or Lashbrook, there is a chance the Blazers re-open their search, according to the team source.
The Blazers’ search was paused while owner Tom Dundon watched the other professional team he owns — the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes — win the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes clinched the title Monday with a 3-0 win at Las Vegas.
Splitter was well liked by Portland players, who resoundingly endorsed him during and after the season. However, the new ownership team was wary of areas in which the team did not improve throughout the season, particularly turnovers. The Blazers ranked last in the NBA in turnovers, at 17.3 a game. The Blazers also struggled throughout the season in late-game execution, particularly on inbounds after timeouts.
“I thought he did well,” Portland guard Damian Lillard said of Splitter during exit interviews in April. “Being launched into that seat as a head coach out of nowhere, unexpected — having to be a leader of men in this league is tough. When you’ve got to deal with minutes and managing personalities and rotations, it’s tough. He did a great job doing it on the fly. As the season went on, I think he started to impose his style and what he wanted to get done more and more. You could see it in how he used his voice and how he commanded film sessions and huddles. He settled in and got comfortable. You could see his investment in the team and how successful he wanted the team to be. And I think a lot of our success down the stretch is because of how much he put into it.”
The Bulls’ decision comes eight days before the NBA Draft, which Chicago enters with two lottery picks, No. 4 and No. 15, the latter of which is courtesy of Portland. The Bulls roster, littered with young players and expectedly approaching a period of development, is tracking toward some semblance of a nucleus that a young coach can mold and grow with.