Tiago Splitter Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Blazers Notes: Williams, Splitter, Avdija, Holiday

October 28th, 2025 at 6:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Trail Blazers center Robert Williams was assigned to the G League’s Rip City Remix for conditioning purposes, the team’s PR department tweets. Williams is working his way back from a knee injury. Health issues have limited Williams to 26 total outings since he was traded to Portland two years ago.

He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee back in March. Williams will try to work his way into the rotation upon his return. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season and could be a valuable trade piece prior to this year’s deadline.

We have more on the Trail Blazers:

Interim coach Tiago Splitter is the first Brazilian-born head coach in NBA history. It’s a matter of pride for Splitter, who has replaced Chauncey Billups after Billups was shockingly arrested by the FBI following the team’s season opener. Billups was placed on indefinite leave by the league. “It’s an honor, to be honest,” Splitter said, per Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. “You know, coming from Brazil is really, you know, a soccer country where basketball is growing, but it’s not there yet. And a lot of people follow me in Brazil and proud of just this accomplishment.”
They have gone 2-1 since Splitter took over, including a 14-point win over the Lakers on Monday. Deni Avdija has led the team in scoring in all three games. “He knows how to talk to us. He knows how to prepare us,” Avdija told Mark Medina of RG.org. “His basketball knowledge is very good. Other than that, I don’t want to get into that (the coaching situation) too much.”
The team’s scoring limitations will define their ceiling, according to Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. They shot 37 percent in a loss to the Clippers but bounced back to knock down 45.6 percent of their shots against the Lakers. They’re shooting 33.8 percent from deep and that could be a season-long issue. “I think our offense will definitely catch up to our defense,” Jrue Holiday said. “There’s been times where we get a bit stagnant, but it could be because we’re playing so hard on the defensive end. But I really enjoy our offense. The way we move the ball, the way we get each other involved, it’s not just one person doing everything. Everybody gets involved. That’s how I like my basketball.”
Yossi Gozlan of ThirdApron.com examines Shaedon Sharpe‘s four-year extension as well as Toumani Camara‘s four-year extension and what moves the front office might have in store in the near future.

Blazers Notes: Splitter, Billups, Bjorkgren, Lue

October 25th, 2025 at 9:42am CST by Dana Gauruder

Tiago Splitter has been thrust into the NBA spotlight, taking over the Trail Blazers’ head coaching duties on an interim basis with Chauncey Billups on indefinite leave. The circumstances in which Splitter suddenly became the head coach were far from ideal, he told Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and other media members.

“Honestly, a tough moment. But I’ve got to do my job,” he said. “I’ve been in this position in a different level. But also, in a way, looking forward to show my skills and lead a team. So that was a positive part of it.”

Here’s more on the Blazers:

Lead assistant coach Nate Bjorkgren had previous head coaching experience but Bjorkgren told general manager Joe Cronin that Splitter was the best choice to take over, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports. Bjorkgren felt he could best help the team in his current role, running the defense, Shelburne adds.
In Splitter’s head coaching debut, Portland blew out Golden State, 139-119. “I would be embarrassed to sit here and blame fatigue when a team just came out and took it to us. It was about them and their great play,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, per Shelburne. “This city is going to really enjoy watching the Blazers. They play hard. They have a real identity. They’re doing a really good job of rebuilding the franchise after the long run with Terry [Stotts] and Dame [Lillard] and CJ [McCollum]. It’s been a rough couple of years, but they’ve used that time wisely and built a really good roster.”
Who are the candidates to replace Billups if he’s not exonerated? Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscription required) looks at a dozen potential replacements, including James Borrego, Mike Budenholzer, and Sam Cassell, among others.
Tyronn Lue has been close friends with Billups for many years. The Clippers head coach said Billups is in good spirits. “Chauncey is my best friend that had to go through something like this, the allegations, his family, my goddaughters,” Lue said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. “So, it was a tough day and you never want to see any of your friends go through anything like that.” Lue spoke with Billups on Thursday night. “Just to hear his voice saying that he’s OK, (I could tell) he’s good,” Lue said. “I could tell in his voice if it’s not really good, so he feels good. And that’s all I wanted to make sure of.”
That flies in the face of Billups’ demeanor in court — emotionless with a hollow look in his eyes, Jason Quick of The Athletic writes. Billups is normally positive and forthright — one of the most popular former players and current coaches in the league — which makes the allegations against him even more shocking, Quick notes.

Tiago Splitter Takes Over As Blazers’ Head Coach

October 23rd, 2025 at 1:52pm CST by Luke Adams

1:52 pm: The Trail Blazers have confirmed that Splitter will be their interim head coach, issuing the following statement:

“We are aware of the allegations involving head coach Chauncey Billups, and the Trail Blazers are fully cooperating with the investigation. Billups has been placed on immediate leave, and Tiago Splitter will assume head coaching duties in the interim. Any further questions should be directed to the NBA.”

12:06 pm: First-year Trail Blazers assistant Tiago Splitter will assume head coaching duties in Portland on an interim basis following Chauncey Billups‘ arrest on Thursday, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).

Billups is reportedly being charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering after being accused of participating in an illegal, mafia-run operation to rig illegal poker games.

Billups was described by law enforcement officials as one of the celebrity “face cards” that organizers used to attract “fish” (potential victims) to the games. He was placed on immediate leave by the NBA on Thursday.

Assistant coach Nate Bjorkgren, formerly the head coach of the Pacers, looked like the top candidate to take over as Portland’s acting head coach, as he did last season when Billups briefly left the team for family reasons. However, according to Charania, while Bjorkgren received strong consideration for the position, he decided it was best for him to remain in his current role.

Splitter is in his first season working under Billups, but he has several years of experience as an NBA assistant, having worked in Brooklyn from 2019-23 and Houston in 2023/24, Charania notes (Twitter link). Splitter was also the head coach of Paris Basketball last season and led the club to its first championship in France’s top league (LNB Élite).

Before becoming a coach, Splitter played in the NBA for seven seasons, including five with the Spurs. The former forward/center won a title in San Antonio in 2014.

Splitter’s first game as Portland’s head coach will come on Friday when the Blazers host Golden State.

Splitter, St. Andrews, Crawford Join Blazers’ Coaching Staff

June 11th, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers have officially named Tiago Splitter, Patrick St. Andrews and Quinton Crawford as assistants on Chauncey Billups’ staff, the team announced today in a press release.

Splitter joins the Trail Blazers after leading the Paris Basketball Club to a French Basketball Cup championship and into the EuroLeague playoffs as the team’s head coach. Previously, Splitter served as an assistant coach for the Rockets during the 2023/24 season and spent the five seasons prior with the Nets.

St. Andrews has been an assistant coach with the Grizzlies for the last two seasons. Prior to arriving in Memphis, St. Andrews spent five seasons on the Bucks’ staff.

Crawford comes to Portland after leading the NBA G League Stockton Kings to a championship in his first season as their head coach. He was an assistant with the Suns in 2023/24 after spending one season with the Mavericks and three seasons with the Lakers.

News that Splitter and St. Andrews were joining the staff broke over the weekend, while Crawford’s agreement with the team was first reported in May.

Additionally, Leron Black has been hired as a player development coach. Black has served as an assistant coach and director of video for the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate.

Mark Tyndale will not be retained on Billups’ staff, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.

Trail Blazers Adding Splitter, St. Andrews To Coaching Staff

June 7th, 2025 at 6:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tiago Splitter and Patrick St. Andrews are joining the Trail Blazers‘ coaching staff as assistants to Chauncey Billups, multiple sources tell Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan in Portland (Twitter link). Splitter’s return to the NBA was first reported by international basketball writer Chema de Lucas (Twitter link).

After retiring as a player, Splitter began his coaching career in 2019, spending four seasons as an assistant with Brooklyn and one with Houston before being named head coach of Paris Basketball last summer. He also serves as an assistant with the Brazilian national team.

St. Andrews is a former assistant in Memphis who lost his job when Taylor Jenkins was fired in late March. St. Andrews became an assistant with Atlanta in 2017, then spent five years in Milwaukee before joining the Grizzlies. He was one of just two assistants who were retained when Jenkins’ coaching staff was revamped last summer.

Splitter and St. Andrews will reportedly be joining Kings G League coach Quinton Crawford, who was rumored last week to be an upcoming addition to Billups’ staff.

International Notes: Porter, Nnaji, Splitter, Parker, Nunn

July 17th, 2024 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

A federal judge has denied Jontay Porter‘s request to play for for Promitheas B.C. in Greece during the 2024/25 season, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

Porter, who was permanently banned from the NBA in April for violating the league’s gambling rules, pleaded guilty last week to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. His sentencing is scheduled for December 18 and he faces the possibility of 41-51 months in prison, based on sentencing guidelines.

The former Raptor had to forfeit his passport under the conditions of his pre-sentence release. He and his lawyers had filed a motion asking to modify the terms of his release to have the passport returned to him so that he could travel to and around Europe, live in Greece, and play professional basketball in the Greek League.

“The proposed modification would allow Mr. Porter to pursue a very fortunate — and quickly diminishing — opportunity to earn income through his primary skillset,” Porter’s lawyer Jeff Jensen wrote. “Mr. Porter, and more importantly his agent, believe such an opportunity is unlikely to arise again. As you may know, Mr. Porter was recently banned from the National Basketball Association.

“Mr. Porter’s primary skillset and means of earning a living involve playing professional basketball. He left college early in 2020 to enter the NBA Draft and has not yet finished earning credits towards his college degree. Since being banned from the NBA there have been no other opportunities available to continue his basketball career. Mr. Porter has a limited window to earn an income through professional basketball during his prime earning years as a professional athlete.”

Both Jensen and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York declined to comment after the motion was denied, per Vorkunov.

Here’s more from around the international basketball world:

Nigerian center James Nnaji, the No. 31 pick in the 2023 draft, had hoped to make the leap to the NBA this offseason after playing in Spain in 2023/24, according to Jose Ignacio Huguet of Mundo Deportivo (hat tip to Sportando). However, those plans changed when Nnaji underwent back surgery this spring, rendering him unavailable for Summer League play and ensuring that he’s not in the Hornets‘ short-term plans. As a result, Nnaji will remain with Barcelona for at least one more season, per Mundo Deportivo’s reporting.
Former NBA big man Tiago Splitter has been named the new head coach of Paris Basketball, the French team announced this week (via Twitter). Splitter, who played in the league from 2010-17 (primarily for the Spurs), became an NBA assistant coach in 2019. He spent four years on Brooklyn’s staff, then was an assistant under Rockets head coach Ime Udoka in 2023/24.
Neither Jabari Parker (Barcelona) nor Kendrick Nunn (Panathinaikos) exercised the NBA exit clause in his contract, according to reports from Mundo Deportivo (hat tip to Sportando) and BasketNews.com. With those opt-out deadlines now passed, Parker and Nunn – both former NBA players – are expected to remain with their respective teams in Europe for the 2024/25 season.

And-Ones: NBA Media Rights, T. Moore, Splitter, I. Austin

April 19th, 2024 at 9:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s exclusive media rights negotiating window with Disney (ESPN/ABC) and Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT) is expected to expire on Monday without a new deal in place, reports Alex Sherman of CNBC Sports.

After Monday, the league will be able to continue to negotiate with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery while also having conversations with other potential media rights partners, including streamers like Apple, Netflix, and Amazon. A league spokesperson told CNBC that talks with Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery have been “productive” and are ongoing.

As both Sherman and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic explain, the NBA’s next media rights deal will likely be more complex and wide-ranging than the current agreement, with the league expected to put together a package that includes three or four partners rather than just two. That current deal with ESPN/ABC and TNT will expire after the 2024/25 season.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Shooting guard Taze Moore – who signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Trail Blazers this season, including one on the final day of the season – has joined the Vancouver Bandits in the Canadian Elite Basketball League, per a press release (hat tip to Sean Highkin on Twitter). A former Houston Cougar, Moore didn’t see much action in his first 10 days with Portland, but played 30 minutes in last Sunday’s blowout loss, compiling 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
Tiago Splitter, an assistant coach on Ime Udoka‘s Rockets staff, will join the Brazilian national team’s staff as an assistant this summer, according to an announcement from the program (hat tip to Eurohoops). Brazil hasn’t secured a spot in the Olympics but will be looking to claim one of the four remaining openings by winning a six-team qualifying tournament in Latvia.
Isaiah Austin, the former Baylor standout whose plans of playing in the NBA were derailed when he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, has been hired an assistant coach by Florida Atlantic, reports Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. As Reynolds details, Austin has spent the last several years working for the NBA and playing in the BIG3.

Rockets Announce Coaching Staff For 2023/24

July 3rd, 2023 at 3:46pm CST by Rory Maher

New head coach Ime Udoka officially announced his coaching staff for the 2023/24 season, the Rockets announced in a press release.

Ben Sullivan, Royal Ivey, Garrett Jackson, Tiago Splitter, Cam Hodges and Mike Moser will be Udoka’s assistants, per the team. Sullivan, Ivey, Jackson, Splitter and Moser were all previously reported additions (or in Splitter’s case, nearing a deal). That makes Hodges the only real new hire, based on reporting we’ve seen.

All six coaches have ties to Udoka. According to the Rockets, Sullivan got his NBA start as an assistant video coordinator after Udoka recommended him to the Spurs. Udoka was an assistant coach in San Antonio at the time. Sullivan has been an assistant with the Hawks, Bucks and Celtics over the past several seasons, including under Udoka in Boston in 2021/22.

Ivey, a 10-year NBA veteran as a player, has made previous coaching stops with Oklahoma City, New York and Brooklyn. He was a Nets assistant for the past three seasons, including alongside Udoka in ’20/21.

Jackson and Moser were player enhancement coaches for the Celtics. Jackson was with Boston for the past two seasons, while Moser was there for one. Udoka was suspended for all of last season by Boston after an affair with a team staffer, but he likely hired Moser even though they only worked together for a short period.

Splitter, another former NBA player, was Udoka’s teammate on the Spurs in ’10/11 and coached alongside him in Brooklyn in ’20/21. He has been an assistant with the Nets for the past four years.

Hodges got his NBA start with the Spurs as a player development assistant and worked with Udoka in both San Antonio and Philadelphia. He has been a coaching associate with the Clippers since 2020, according to Houston’s release.

Rockets Notes: Lopez, Whitmore, Draft Night, Splitter, Thompson

June 23rd, 2023 at 11:51am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets are a “real threat” to the Bucks to sign veteran center Brook Lopez, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (hat tip to ClutchFans.com).

Lopez is entering unrestricted free agency, as his four-year, $52MM contract expired after the season. Lopez, 35, remains one of the top players at his position. He started 78 games this past season and averaged 15.9 PPG, 6.7 RPG and a career-best 2.5 BPG. He also made 37.4% of his 3-point attempts.

Houston’s interest in Lopez has previously been noted. The Rockets have a 20-year-old center in Alperen Sengun, a 2021 first-rounder, but Lopez could also serve as a mentor to Houston’s youthful frontcourt bigs while stabilizing its defense and stretching the floor offensively.

We have more on the Rockets:

Villanova forward Cam Whitmore says he’s baffled by reports that he has a medical issue that contributed to his surprising slide in the first round, ESPN News Services relays. Projected to go as high as No. 4 in the draft, he dropped into Houston’s laps at the No. 20 slot. “I promise you there’s not (a medical problem),” he said. “I have no idea. I don’t know what happened. But I feel fine. It’s my body. If they think it’s something different, they have their own opinions. But at the end of the day, it’s my body.”
GM Rafael Stone tried in vain to trade up from the No. 20 spot and were stunned was Whitmore was still available, according to Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle. “We always intended to try and trade up in this draft,” Stone said. “But we also talked about, if that wasn’t successful, trading out if we didn’t like somebody at the pick. And we were talking to a number of teams about what that would look like, and some of those potential transactions were very attractive. But again, not nearly as attractive as picking Cam, which is what we did.” The Rockets reportedly made trade inquiries with the Lakers (No. 17), Heat (No. 18), and Warriors (No. 19). Stone added the medical staff had evaluated Whitmore and there were no concerns about his health.
The Rockets are close to adding Tiago Splitter to Ime Udoka’s staff, Kelly Iko of The Athletic tweets. Splitter worked with Udoka on the Nets’ staff before Udoka was hired as the Celtics’ head coach.
Lottery pick Amen Thompson came away from his pre-draft workout with the Rockets convinced that the franchise was ready to exit from the rebuilding stage, he told Iko. “Just that they were looking for a change,” Thompson said of last week’s visit. “They were looking to turn the franchise around and get some wins. I wanted to be a part of that.”

Rockets Rumors: Harden, FA Targets, Thompson, Martin, Splitter

June 13th, 2023 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Although there have been several reports in recent weeks and months linking free agent guard James Harden to Houston, there have also been rumblings that the Rockets aren’t interested in giving the former MVP a maximum-salary contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said on the HoopsHype podcast.

Scotto’s guest on the podcast, Kelly Iko of The Athletic, agrees with that statement, noting that Houston would like to add three or four veterans this offseason and doesn’t want to be using $45MM of its $60MM in cap room on a single player.

According to Iko, people within the Rockets’ organization – including players – and people close to Harden are fairly split on whether or not the 10-time All-Star will return to Houston, with some confident about the odds of a reunion and others skeptical. Skepticism is the dominant view among rival executives who have spoken to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com — many of those execs expressed confusion about the fit, though some did suggest that a short-term deal might make some sense.

If the Rockets don’t land Harden and look elsewhere on the free agent market for a point guard, Iko views Fred VanVleet as a more likely target than Kyrie Irving. Both Iko and Scotto have also heard that Austin Reaves is a player Houston likes, though Reaves will be a restricted free agent and the Lakers are considered likely to match any offer sheets he signs.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

Iko views Brook Lopez as a bit of a “pipe dream” for Houston, since the veteran center seems likely to remain with the Bucks. Iko names Clint Capela, Kristaps Porzingis, Myles Turner, Josh Hart, Dillon Brooks, as Kelly Oubre as possible targets for the Rockets in free agency or via trades, though he again acknowledges that some of those options are more viable than others. Hart, for instance, is considered a strong bet to remain with the Knicks, as Scotto points out.
New head coach Ime Udoka will have “a huge say in who he coaches,” according to Iko, which could be an important factor as the Rockets consider which players to pursue most aggressively this offseason.
Iko believes Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson will be the top prospect on Houston’s board if there are no surprises in the top three picks in the draft. Iko has heard the Rockets believe the gap between Thompson and Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson isn’t as big as the consensus suggests.
Coming off a strong season, Kenyon Martin Jr. would “prefer to get paid now,” either as a restricted free agent or on an extension, says Iko. However, it remains to be seen whether Martin is in the Rockets’ long-term plans or if he might end up back on the trade block in the coming weeks. It’s possible Houston could postpone its decision on Martin, simply exercising his minimum-salary team option and determining during the season whether to try to extend or trade him.
According to Iko, Tiago Splitter, who worked with Udoka in Brooklyn and played with him in San Antonio, may be a candidate to join the Rockets’ coaching staff — especially if the team’s pursuit of Aaron Miles doesn’t pan out.