Micah Nori's future with the Timberwolves is becoming painfully obvious

On Friday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves had their biggest win of the season as they topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-107. Just six minutes into the game, though, head coach Chris Finch was ejected for berating the officials.

It seemed like Finch's ejection gave the Wolves an extra sense of energy and pride. Lead assistant coach Micah Nori took over for Finch and led the Wolves to victory. After Finch suffered a knee injury in the 2024 playoffs, Nori took over as the de facto head coach, leading the franchise to the conference finals. This put Nori on the national radar, but Wolves fans have always known what he brings to the table.

Nori has since interviewed for multiple head coaching jobs, including the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Phoenix Suns. Frankly, I'm surprised that Nori hasn't gotten a head coaching job yet. Regardless, that seems destined to change next offseason, which unfortunately means the Wolves will lose him.

Micah Nori will likely earn a head coaching job outside of Minnesota

Now, a portion of the Timberwolves fan base undoubtedly hopes to see him as Finch's successor.

However, I don't see that as a realistic possibility unless things take a significant turn for the worse. Finch is the most successful coach in franchise history, and by all accounts, he has the respect of the Wolves' locker room — that's not someone you get rid of. That doesn't change the fact that Nori deserves a head coaching job and likely will get one elsewhere.

When looking around the league, few assistant coaches are as qualified to land a head coaching position as Nori is. He has been an assistant coach since 2009 and the Wolves' lead assistant since 2021. Nori is well-known for his defensive schemes, which have helped the Wolves routinely rank among the best defenses. His fantastic defensive schemes were on full display during Friday's win, where the Wolves posted a 102.9 DRTG.

It's also worth noting that Nori has recently started taking over the Timberwolves' late-game play-calling. This, paired with his role in the 2024 playoffs, shows that he can handle head coaching responsibilities. Nori is also beloved by Timberwolves players, with Anthony Edwards somewhat famously calling him a "basketball genius."

Finch took over for the Wolves in the middle of the 2020-21 season, when he was the Toronto Raptors assistant. That was an unprecedented move, though, and not something fans should expect to happen with Nori. As a result, Wolves fans should be delighted that Nori will stick around for at least the rest of this season.

However, with a handful or so of head coaching positions likely opening up this offseason, it's fair to expect Nori will land one of them. Friday night's thrilling win should serve as a reminder of how lucky the Wolves are to have Nori, and it should also be further evidence that he likely won't be an assistant for long.