Tiago Splitter wants to return to NBA after historic season with Paris

Tiago Splitter achieved quite a feat in his first season on the Paris bench. After taking over Paris Basketball in summer 2024 following Tuomas Iisalo’s departure, the former center led the capital club to the EuroLeague playoffs in their very first participation. Finishing eighth in the regular season, Paris eliminated Real Madrid in the play-in before falling to Fenerbahçe in the quarterfinals. However, behind this great European run, the Brazilian’s future remains unclear.

Successful European season, but uncertain future

« I’m proud of what we accomplished in our first season, over these 70 games, the mental strength and physical effort we had to put in every night, » Tiago Splitter shared after the elimination against Fenerbahçe, who won three games to zero. Despite the fatigue, the coach emphasized that the season isn’t over, with the French championship still in sight. Having won the French Cup, Paris can still aim for their first national title in Betclic ELITE, as the race for first place in regular season remains open.

Meanwhile, Splitter hasn’t hidden his desire to return to the NBA. After serving as an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets, he’s open about his ambition to rejoin a North American staff. Nothing is decided for the 2025-2026 season. But the interest he’s generating, combined with that of his players, could shuffle the cards in Paris.

⚪️⚫️ Tiago Splitter is receiving a lot of offers from EL benches, but he would like to come back to San Antonio as an assistant coach.#Euroleague #TiagoSplitter #EveryGameMatters

— Eurodevotion (@eurodevotion) May 7, 2025

Heading towards major changes in Paris?

This remarkable European campaign has put several Paris Basketball players in the spotlight. T.J. Shorts, third in EuroLeague MVP voting, Tyson Ward and Nadir Hifi are now highly sought after. The latter is even rumored to be heading to Monaco. While the Parisian club is now assured to stay in EuroLeague, they might be starting almost from scratch next season.

On the coaching side, if Tiago Splitter were to leave, Paris would not lack candidates. Luca Banchi’s name, already considered in summer 2024 after Iisalo’s departure, is being mentioned again, notably by internet user Yannis Bourgeois. The Italian coach is currently with Anadolu Efes Istanbul, but his future there remains uncertain.

News ✅: Tiago Splitter ne devrait plus être à la tête du Paris Basketball la saison prochaine ! Le club de la capitale est entré en contact avec Luca Banchi, actuel coach de l’Anadolu. Son actuel assistant, Julius Thomas fait également partie des pistes pour lui succéder ! https://t.co/xRotfgwt8q

— Yannis Bourgeois (@YannisBourgeois) May 7, 2025