DHJ Quick Take: Chicago Bulls Hiring Tiago Splitter as Head Coach
The Chicago Bulls are finalizing the hire of Tiago Splitter as head coach, bringing in the former Portland interim, who led the Trail Blazers to a surprise playoff berth. He succeeds Billy Donovan.
- Who is the Bulls’ new head coach? Tiago Splitter, 41, the former Portland Trail Blazers interim coach, a longtime NBA assistant and a former Spurs champion.
- Why did the Bulls hire him? His player-development track record and the turnaround he led in Portland, where he reached the playoffs amid the Chauncey Billups situation.
- Who else was a finalist? Micah Nori, Ryan Schmidt, and Wes Unseld Jr.
- What is next for the Bulls? They hold the No. 4 and No. 15 picks in the June 23 draft and will build a young roster around Splitter’s development focus.
The Chicago Bulls are finalizing the hire of Tiago Splitter as their next head coach, pulling the 41-year-old away from the Portland Trail Blazers after a strong run as their interim coach last season. Splitter succeeds Billy Donovan, who stepped down in April after six seasons.
Splitter emerged from a field that Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham narrowed to four finalists: Splitter, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Atlanta Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt, and incumbent Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr.
As Dallas Hoops Journal reported over the weekend, while Schmidt wasn’t the Bulls’ final choice, he left a strong impression during the interview process and was among the candidates who had multiple conversations with Chicago. He is considered a name to watch in future NBA head coaching cycles.
What Tiago Splitter Brings to Chicago Bulls
Splitter took over a difficult situation in Portland, stepping in as interim coach after Chauncey Billups was charged in a federal gambling investigation, and turned it into the best case for this job. He guided the Trail Blazers to a 42-40 record and the No. 7 seed, the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2021, beating the Phoenix Suns in the play-in before losing to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
He became the first Portland coach with a winning record in his first season since Maurice Cheeks in 2001-02, and the first to win a playoff game in his first season since Mike Dunleavy in 1997-98. The Trail Blazers ranked among the league’s top 10 defenses over their final 51 games, and Deni Avdija made his first All-Star team under Splitter.
His background fits what the Bulls said they wanted. Splitter spent seven years as an NBA player and won a championship with the Spurs, then moved into coaching in 2018, working as an assistant in Brooklyn before joining Portland. The Bulls cited his player development and alignment with the franchise’s direction as reasons for the hire.
Where This Leaves the Chicago Bulls
Chicago went 31-51 in 2025-26 and missed the playoffs. The coaching change came alongside a front-office overhaul, with Graham taking over basketball operations after the team moved on from Artūras Karnišovas. The Bulls hold the No. 4 and No. 15 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23, giving Splitter young talent to develop right away.
As it stands, Chicago is widely expected to take North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson with the No. 4 pick, assuming the top three goes as expected with AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer, sources indicated to Dallas Hoops Journal.
NBA Coaching Carousel Narrows
The hire also reshapes the coaching market. Chicago’s opening was one of three left in the league, and filling it leaves the Dallas Mavericks and the Trail Blazers, who now need a permanent replacement for Splitter, still searching.
With the NBA Draft approaching on June 23, Mavericks general manager Mike Schmitz previously said the team is “evaluating everything” and that there isn’t a set timeline for making a hire. Team president Masai Ujiri has communicated a “future-based” approach around Cooper Flagg using an “open search.”
“It’s an open search… Our minds are very open,” Ujiri said during a press conference after Kidd’s departure. “We’re going to look everywhere. Every stone unturned, and we will really, really do our homework on this.”
Nori has been connected to some degree to both the Portland and Dallas openings, sources told Dallas Hoops Journal. The main additional name linked to the Trail Blazers has been Boston Celtics assistant coach Tyler Lashbrook. As for Dallas, which was the last team to begin its coaching search after recently parting ways with Jason Kidd, a few other NBA assistant coaches have been linked to the team, including the Toronto Raptors‘ Jama Mahlalela, the Houston Rockets‘ Royal Ivey, and the Celtics’ Tony Dobbins.
Outside of these names, a former veteran head coach that The Stein Line linked to Dallas is Terry Stotts.
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