Sources: Bulls finalizing hire of Tiago Splitter as head coach - ESPN

The Chicago Bulls are finalizing the hiring of Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter as the franchise's new head coach, sources told ESPN on Monday.

Splitter succeeds Billy Donovan as the Bulls' head coach after stepping into the head coach job in Portland last season and excelling. Splitter, 41, guided the Trail Blazers to a 42-40 record and a postseason berth as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference amid adversity stemming from Chauncey Billups' federal charges.

Splitter became the first Trail Blazers head coach to have a winning record in his first season with the team since Maurice Cheeks in 2001-02 and the first to win a playoff game in his debut season in Portland since Mike Dunleavy in 1997-98.

Splitter led the Trail Blazers to a top-10 defense in their final 51 regular-season games, with a 30-21 record during that span. Portland also led the NBA in second-chance points per game under Splitter last season.

He gained the support of Portland's locker room — led by the approval of star forward Deni Avdija, who emerged as a first-time NBA All-Star under Splitter's watch.

Sources said top Bulls officials, including executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham and his front office staff, met with four finalists for the head coaching job last week in Chicago: Splitter, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori, Atlanta Hawks assistant Ryan Schmidt and current Bulls assistant Wes Unseld Jr.

The Bulls conducted a search that spanned a double-digit number of candidates before narrowing the process. They landed on Splitter due to his ability to lead the team's player development, organizational alignment on the franchise's direction and vision, and his leadership and knowledge base as a