Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has been elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Chauncey Billups, coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, has been voted to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, according to an NBA insider who spoke with The Oregonian and Oregon Live. Shams Charania of The Athletic was the first to report the news. An official announcement from the NBA is coming later this week. Vince Carter, the former Toronto Raptors standout, was also elected. Billups spent 17 seasons in the NBA, from 1997 to 2014. His best seasons were with the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets.

Billups helped the Pistons win the 2004 NBA title and was awarded Finals MVP. He was twice nominated to the NBA’s all-defensive team and placed in the top six in regular-season MVP voting (2006, 2009). Throughout his career, Billups averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game.

An April 3 game between two of the NBA’s weakest teams might not sound particularly relevant, but tonight’s clash between the Portland Trail Blazers and Charlotte Hornets could have far-reaching offseason consequences.

For both teams, a win or loss may mean the difference between the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and the prospect of its choice, or a potential drop down the draft order in an already weak class. Earning the greatest opportunity at the No. 1 pick this summer is critical for both rebuilding organizations, and possibly more so for the Trail Blazers.

The Hornets, who already have LaMelo Ball as their point guard of the future, took the second overall pick in the 2023 draft and added Brandon Miller, who appears to be another franchise building component. Portland selected Scoot Henderson one choice later, but the Blazers’ prized rookie has failed to meet (admittedly lofty) expectations. The outcome of tonight’s game may alter Rip City’s summer strategy, as general manager Joe Cronin continues to retool his young roster.

The three teams with the worst records at the end of the season have an identical 14 percent chance of obtaining the top choice in the NBA draft. The Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons have two of the three slots locked up. Charlotte enters today with the fourth-worst record (18-57), while Portland is one game ahead of the Hornets (19-56).