Any NBA fan would agree that the Portland Trail Blazers achieved more than anyone thought they would in 2016.
Entering the 2015-16 season, the Blazers were pegged to be one of the worst teams in the NBA after losing four of their five starters from the 2014-15 squad. In other words, it was Damian Lillard and a bunch of nobodies on Portland's roster.
But something amazing happened – C.J. McCollum became the NBA's most improved player and along with Lillard, formed the NBA's best backcourt duo. Combined with the excellent coaching job by Terry Stotts, Portland managed to grab the fifth seed in the tough Western Conference.
Stotts ended up finishing runner-up to the Golden State Warriors‘ Steve Kerr for the Coach of the Year award. The Blazers head coach gained the respect of many, with Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James even saying that Stotts could have won the award.
It would be a given that Stotts would return as Blazers head coach for the 2016-17 season, right? Not so fast.
According to Gerry Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, it's not definitive that Stotts will return for a fifth season in Portland. The Blazers hold a team option, which means they could either bring him back for one more year, extend his contract or simply release him.
Stotts has led the team to the playoffs in three of his four years in Portland. If for some odd reason the Blazers don't bring him back, Stotts would become the hottest commodity on the free agent coaching market.
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