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Make that another LA Clippers assistant coach who will need to be replaced this offseason, if a new report that emerged concerning Roy Rogers’ future come to fruition.
Rogers is bound for the Portland Trail Blazers to join Chauncey Billups’ coaching staff there, according to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Friday.
Portland is finalizing a deal for Clippers assistant Roy Rogers to join Chauncey Billups’ new coaching staff, sources tell ESPN. Rogers has shown an ability to help improve team defenses in recent stops, and will focus on that end for the Blazers.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 10, 2021
The 47-year-old spent one season with the Clippers, this past one under Ty Lue, alongside Billups as an assistant coach. Prior to that, Rogers had a number of stops as a player in the NBA and in Europe, and as an assistant coach around the NBA.
Rogers was credited with helping Clippers’ bigs, particularly Ivica Zubac, work on their game.
Rogers worked heavily with big men such as Ivica Zubac during his lone season on staff, as well. The third assistant (so far, potentially) from Ty Lue’s staff in talks of being hired away since Clips’ WCF run ended. https://t.co/5Ex4sCHS5j
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) July 10, 2021
It’s a testament to the strength of Lue’s support staff that so many of his assistants are sought around the NBA, but if Rogers departs as expected, Lue will have three assistant slots to fill this offseason, joining Billups’ confirmed departure and the reported move of Kenny Atkinson to the Golden State Warriors. Given the Clippers are coming off their best-ever season as a franchise, there are some big shoes to fill, but we’ll see what happens.