CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls are putting the finishing touches on a deal to bring Portland Trail Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter on board as their next head coach, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on Monday.
The source requested anonymity because the Bulls had not yet made an official announcement. The deal was first reported by ESPN.
Splitter, 41, came aboard Chauncey Billups’ coaching staff in Portland last June. He was bumped up from assistant to interim head coach in October after Billups was taken into custody as part of a large-scale federal crackdown targeting an illegal gambling operation. Billups has entered a not guilty plea to wire fraud and money laundering charges.
Under Splitter’s leadership, Portland finished the regular season 42-40 before falling to San Antonio in five games during the first round of the playoffs. It marked Portland’s first postseason appearance and first winning season since 2020-21.
Before moving into coaching, Splitter spent seven seasons as an NBA player with San Antonio, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. The 6-foot-11 center, a native of Brazil, was drafted by the Spurs in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft and was part of the championship-winning team in 2014.
After his playing career ended, Splitter spent five years with Brooklyn from 2018 to 2023, starting as a pro scout and later moving into an assistant coaching role. He then served as an assistant in Houston for a season before leading Paris Basketball Club to a French Cup title during the 2024-25 season.
Splitter would take over for Billy Donovan, who stepped down after six years at the helm in Chicago. The Bulls reportedly held talks with Donovan about staying on, but he chose to walk away rather than work under a new front office leadership structure.
Chicago struggled defensively this past season, giving up an average of 121.5 points per game — ranking 28th in the entire NBA. The Bulls wrapped up the year at 31-51, missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
The team’s front office has also undergone a significant overhaul. Bryson Graham was brought in as executive vice president of basketball operations on May 4, with Stephen Mervis and Acie Law IV joining the revamped front office on May 19.
