Becky Hammon is a finalist for the Portland Trail Blazers' open head coaching job, according to Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic. This makes Hammon the first woman to get this far in an NBA coaching search.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski also reported on Hammon getting another interview, with Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Chauncey Billups moving on to the next round of the process as well. The Athletic names Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Mike D'Antoni, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and San Antonio Spurs vice president of basketball operations Brent Barry as other candidates to get interviews.
Hammon has been on Gregg Popovich's coaching staff with the Spurs for seven seasons and has constantly come up as a coaching candidate, but she has never gotten a head job. She did become the first woman to serve as a head coach in the NBA when she took over for Pop after he was tossed from a game in late December. She also recently interviewed to be the Orlando Magic's next head coach.
The Blazers are looking for a new coach after firing Terry Stotts. Blazers star Damian Lillard wanted Jason Kidd to take over for Stotts, but the Los Angeles Lakers assistant pulled his name out of the running after Lillard's public endorsement. Billups has also received Lillard's public support.
Portland has a lot of work to do this summer after another disappointing playoff exit. In addition to hiring a new head coach, the roster needs to be tweaked in order for it to become a legitimate contender. The Lillard trade rumors have died down a bit, and it would be a surprise if he's moved this offseason.
But there will likely be other moves, with CJ McCollum a candidate for a trade. McCollum for Ben Simmons, anybody?
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