The Chicago Bulls are hiring Tiago Splitter to be their next head coach.
With Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori being one of the four finalists for the Bulls job, this announcement was clearly worth monitoring for the Wolves. While Nori may not have earned the Bulls' job, it still feels likely that the long-time assistant will earn a head coaching job elsewhere.
Marc Stein previously reported that Nori, along with Splitter and Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook, were the finalists for the Portland Trail Blazers job. Now, with Splitter earning the Bulls' gig, it appears to be down to Nori and Lashbrook. As such, while Nori hasn't earned a head coaching job yet, this Bulls announcement might pave the way for him to earn the Blazers' job.
It's also worth mentioning that Nori is in the mix for the Dallas Mavericks' head coach opening.
Nori's departure would be a loss for the Timberwolves
Losing Nori would be bittersweet for the Wolves. He has been the Wolves' lead assistant since 2021 and an assistant in the NBA since 2009. It's long overdue for him to earn a head coaching opportunity.
Even if it's been behind the scenes, Nori has been a key part of the Wolves' success. He is well known for his ability to build strong relationships with players. Furthermore, Nori has aided Chris Finch in designing late-game plays and rotations.
Fans have grown fond of Nori for his humor during sideline interviews and during the Wolves' 2024 conference finals run; he famously served as the de facto head coach after Finch injured his knee.
Earlier this offseason, Finch noted that he hopes to see Nori earn a job. While it's clearly well-deserved, there's no denying that he'd leave some of a void behind in this scenario. Losing Nori would be far from the biggest story of the Wolves' offseason, but it would be a loss that could impact the team, nonetheless.
Finch and the Wolves would be happy to see Nori earn this well-deserved job with Portland, but the Blazers are a Western Conference team on the rise. Thus, if Nori proves to be a home run hire that could cause some real problems for the Wolves.
Now, just because he is a finalist for the Blazers job doesn't mean he'll earn the position; he has been a finalist for numerous positions over the past few years. Still, this is a possibility the Wolves must prepare for.
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