In the wake of a surprisingly successful season for the Portland Trail Blazers, head coach Terry Stotts finished second in Coach of the Year voting, only behind the Warriors‘ Steve Kerr.
Shortly after, rumors spread that the Blazers intended to extend Stotts' contract. Some reports stated that it wasn't a guaranteed outcome, but now it has been finalized.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Stotts and the Blazers have agreed to a three-year extension that will keep him in Portland through the 2019-20 season. Stotts will earn $5 million annually from the extension, which begins in 2017-18.
Despite losing four of their starting five players through free agency and trades, including franchise cornerstone LaMarcus Aldridge, the Blazers managed to prove the critics wrong and make a run to the second round of the playoffs.
Damian Lillard and Most Improved Player of the Year C.J. McCollum led the way, but the entire roster stepped up and filled their roles, which is at testament to the job Stotts has performed in his tenure with Portland.
In his four seasons as their coach, Stotts and the Blazers have gone 182-146 while making the playoffs in each of the last three years. They’ve reached the second round twice, falling in five games on both occasions.
With his future no longer in question, a certain level of stress has likely been relieved for Stotts. Now, he can solely focus on molding the Blazers into a consistent contender in the Western Conference for years to come.
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