Some around the NBA would argue that Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts, and not Golden State's Steve Kerr, deserved to be named the NBA Coach of the Year. After all, Portland lost four starters last offseason and still somehow managed to advance to the Western Conference semifinals this year.
Given the tremendous work Stotts put in this season, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Portland extend his contract, which runs through the 2016-17 season but without a fully guaranteed salary.
During their exit interviews, the Trail Blazer players went to bat for their head coach.
"I loved playing for coach," Moe Harkless said.
"He's a really good coach," Damian Lillard said. "As long as I'm a part of this organization, I want him to be a part of this organization. He deserves it. He's a great overall person and a great coach. I'm happy to be his point guard, and he's more than deserving of an extension."
Portland has long maintained that it will not comment publicly on Stotts' future with the team. Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey has continued to play the situation surprisingly close to the vest. Their tight-lipped, conservative approach has been particularly confusing given Stott's impressive .555 winning percentage in his four seasons in Portland.
However, a recent unconfirmed report claims that the team has offered Stotts a five-year extension worth $20 million. Head coaching contracts signed this offseason have averaged roughly $5 million to $7 million per year. It is expected that Stott's deal would follow a similar structure. It is expected that Stotts will be locked up for the long term within the next few weeks.
Stotts is 297-314 (.486) in eight seasons as a head coach with the Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks. In Portland, Stotts has gone 11-16 in the postseason. However, the Blazers have made the playoffs in three straight seasons, and Lillard has emerged as one of the top 20 players in the NBA.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
