After nine seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers and eight playoff appearances, Terry Stotts is out as head coach. Stotts and the Blazers have mutually agreed to part ways, the team said in a statement late Friday.
The move comes a day after the Blazers, who were 42 to 30 years old that season and were number 6 in the Western Conference, were knocked out of the playoffs in six first-round games by the Denver Nuggets.
“I have the greatest respect for Terry and what he’s accomplished over the past nine seasons,” said Neil Olshey, president of basketball operations. “This has been a tough decision on both a personal and professional level, but it’s in the franchise’s best interests to move in a different direction. Terry will always have a special place in the Trail Blazer family and the Portland community. We relied on integrity. ” , Professionalism and consistency that he brought to his work every day, and we wish him and Jan all the best. “
Stotts was 402-318 with the Blazers and 22-40 in the playoffs. The Blazers made it to the conference finals once and the conference semifinals twice. Portland also lost five times in the first round, four of them in the last five years.
Stotts often made the most of his squad in the regular season but struggled to break through in a deep Western Conference in the playoffs. Nine seasons with one team is a lifetime in the NBA, and the Blazers front office is looking for improvement while Star Guard Damian Lillard is still in his prime.
“We’re all grateful for Terry’s contributions and nine years with the Trail Blazers,” said Blazers chairman Jody Allen. “I appreciate his unwavering dedication to the players, the game and the wider Portland community. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”
Stotts still had a remaining contract for one year. He had the second most wins behind Jack Ramsay and the fourth highest win rate in franchise history.
Lillard responded to the news on Twitter later on Friday: “100 percent … I’ll miss him.”
