The Chicago Bulls are close recently to appointing former Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter as their next head coach, sources told ESPN Monday. Splitter, 41, replaces Billy Donovan after guiding the Blazers to a 42-40 record and a No. 7 Western seed despite Chauncey Billups’ legal turmoil. The move ends a lengthy search that whittled down to four finalists.

In Portland, Splitter became the first coach since Maurice Cheeks (2001‑02) to post a winning debut and the first since Mike Dunleavy (1997‑98) to notch a playoff victory in his inaugural season. He steered the team to a top‑10 defense over the final 51 games, posting a 30‑21 stretch and leading the league in second‑chance points.

Bulls executives Bryson Graham and his staff met the four candidates—including Micah Nori, Ryan Schmidt and Wes Unseld Jr.—last week, favoring Splitter for his player‑development track record and alignment with Chicago’s rebuilding vision. Splitter’s résumé spans seven NBA seasons, a championship with the Spurs, scouting work in Brooklyn and a stint as Paris Basketball head coach, positioning him as an architect for the Bulls.