[1] After averaging 16.9 points per game as a senior at Oklahoma, Stotts was a second-round selection of the Houston Rockets in the 1980 NBA draft, but he could not find a place on the team.

He began his professional playing career in Italy before joining George Karl's Continental Basketball Association (CBA) team, the Montana Golden Nuggets, in the early 1980s.

[1] After retiring as a player, Stotts joined Karl's coaching staff as an assistant with the CBA's Albany Patroons in 1990–91.

Stotts then coached the CBA's Fort Wayne Fury for one season before rejoining Karl as part of his staff on the Seattle SuperSonics in the NBA.

[4] Stotts led the Hawks to a 24–31 record[5] before he was let go, and returned to the assistant coaching ranks with the Golden State Warriors.

In the second round, Portland played the top-seeded Golden State Warriors to a very competitive five-game series, but eventually lost 4–1.

Portland defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 4–1 and Denver Nuggets 4–3 in the first two rounds but were swept by the two-time defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the Conference finals.

On June 4, 2021, after falling to the Denver Nuggets in six games for their fourth first-round exit in five years, Stotts and the Blazers mutually agreed to part ways.