Tiago Splitter said Thursday he wants to stay with the Portland Trail Blazers, even as the team heads into an offseason without a permanent head coach and questions swirl around how Portland will handle its next steps. The interim coach said he has a good relationship with owner Tom Dundon and general manager Joe Cronin.
"I've told you guys I want to stay," Splitter said in his exit interview. "There's a lot of talking right now, and I think some of them are exaggerations, clickbait and stuff like that. I have a good relationship with Tom, with Joe. We just need some time, now."
Splitter was named interim head coach in October after Chauncey Billups was replaced and went on to guide Portland to a 42-40 record and the franchise's first playoff berth in five years. The Trail Blazers finished as the No. 7 seed, then were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 on Tuesday.
That run came after the team was expected to fall short of the playoffs because Damian Lillard was out injured. It also unfolded with Portland still searching for longer-term stability, and Splitter said the franchise needs time to sort through the changes brought by its new owner.
"And I understand. It's a new owner. He's trying to figure out us as well, learn what we do, what we do wrong and good, and I guess he needs some time as part of it," Splitter said.
The comments land against a busy backdrop. Jason Quick reported on April 21 that Splitter had recently expressed frustration with Dundon over cost-cutting measures that affected the team's masseuse. Earlier in April, Jake Fischer reported that Portland had already held contract talks with Splitter and spoken with at least 15 other candidates for the head coaching job, including Tom Thibodeau, Michael Malone, Josh Schertz and Ben McCollum.
Splitter said during the series that he told his players to stay off social media and tried to keep the focus on basketball. Matisse Thybulle, Jrue Holiday and Donovan Clingan praised him after the loss, and Splitter said the team beat outside projections despite the uncertainty around the roster and the job itself.
His future remains unresolved, but the meaning of Thursday was clear: Splitter wants the job, Portland does not yet have a permanent coach, and the franchise now has to decide whether the man who steadied it through an unexpected season is also the one it wants to keep.
