Tiago Splitter will serve as interim head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, the team confirmed on Thursday afternoon.
The move comes in the wake of Chauncey Billups being placed on leave by the league following his arrest on Thursday morning as part of an FBI gambling probe.
— Trail Blazers PR (@TrailBlazersPR) October 23, 2025
ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report Splitter’s new role.
The team also released a statement on the arrest of Billups, who signed a multi-year extension with the club in the spring.
“We are aware of the allegations involving head coach Chauncey Billups, and the Trail Blazers are fully cooperating with the investigation,” the statement read. “Billups has been placed on immediately, and Tiago Splitter will assume head coaching duties in the interim. Any further questions should be directed to the NBA.”
Splitter, 40, is in his first season with the Blazers and joined the team after leading Paris Basketball to a French league title in June in his first head coaching job.
A native of Blumenau, Brazil, Splitter spent seven seasons in the NBA from 2010 to 2017 with the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers, winning an NBA title in 2014 with the Spurs.
Splitter began his coaching career in 2019 as an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets before joining the Houston Rockets in 2023.
The Blazers (0-1) dropped their season opener on Wednesday night to the Minnesota Timberwolves by a score of 118-114. They return to action on Friday with a visit from the Golden State Warriors (1-0).
