Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has agreed on a multiyear contract extension, the team confirmed Sunday morning. ESPN's Shams Charania first reported the extension, and NBA insider Chris Haynes reports the deal includes Billups' option being picked up for next season plus two more years tacked on through 2027-28.

“The core of Chauncey’s leadership is his ability to build a collaborative culture and growth mindset for our young team,” said Jody Allen, chair of the franchise. “We’re very happy to extend his contract as head coach, and excited to see his continued work developing our players and transforming this team into one capable of long-term success.”

Billups was in the final guaranteed year on his contract and previously had question marks about his future with the Blazers, but a strong finish has resulted in this new extension. Portland has a .550 winning percentage since Jan. 19, buoyed by a top-five defense over that span and the massive breakout of Deni Avdija. He had never won more than 33 games before this season, which has seen Portland jump from a 21-61 record to 35 wins heading into Sunday's final game. The former Detroit Pistons star is 116-211 over four seasons in his first head coaching gig.

This Billups deal comes on the heels of general manager Joe Cronin getting his own contract extension. Cronin came under fire for how he handled the Damian Lillard trade situation, but now both he and his coach are locked in for the foreseeable future.

“Chauncey Billups is a great leader, motivator and communicator that has worked tirelessly to establish an identity for this team that has taken shape over his time in Portland,” said Cronin. “I am beyond excited to continue this partnership with Chauncey and take this team to the next level.”

Blazers' surprise turnaround in 2024-25 season

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The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.
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It looked like Chauncey Billups and the Blazers were heading toward another dreadful campaign when they dropped to 13-28 with a 22-point loss to the Houston Rockets on Jan. 18. That's when things turned around, with Portland winning 10 of 11 games to get within striking distance of a shot at the NBA Play-In Tournament.

While three separate losing streaks of at least four games since that run derailed any postseason dreams, the Blazers are clearly pleased with how things have gone. In addition to Avdija's breakout, other young players like Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan have shown promise.

There will be some big decisions to make about the future of the roster moving forward. Portland is in line to enter the NBA Draft Lottery in the No. 9 slot, so another top-10 pick should be on the way unless it's traded for win-now help. There are also a number of veterans in place, including Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton, who could be on the trade market.

It will be up to Cronin to determine the core he wants to build with, and then Billups will need to coach them up and show more progress next season as the Blazers try to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020-21.