The former Timberwolves lead assistant takes the reins in Portland, tasked with steering a young roster toward the playoffs following a tumultuous coaching search and a gambling scandal.
Another head coach hire is wrapped up in the NBA, this time with the Portland Trail Blazers ending their ongoing search.
Per ESPN's Shams Carania, the Blazers are hiring former Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant Micah Nori as their new head coach, who has a long track record of working alongside top-tier coaches and helping to pioneer impressive programs.
Now, he joins the fold in Portland with some nice building blocks with which to work.
For more on what the Blazers have to offer on the roster and how the hire unfolded, Blazers Roundtable writer Kyler Fox has the latest.
After a gambling scandal sent shockwaves through the Blazers organization, the team parted ways with former head coach Chauncey Billups.
That led Portland to interim head coach Tiago Splitter, who achieved an impressive 42-40 regular season record with the team.
Splitter's successful season made him a top candidate for a variety of opening coaching positions. He eventually landed one with the Chicago Bulls, taking over as their head coach moving into the 2026-27 season.
That hire left the Blazers gig open for another high-profile candidate like Nori, who gets a one-year deal with team options over the next two years.
The contract doesn't show much confidence from the organization, but no team in the NBA right now knows how quickly the coaching carousel can twirl more than the Trail Blazers. Setting themselves up to be players in future markets, should they choose, is a proactive step. Meanwhile, they will control their own destiny with Nori.
Nori has been in the NBA since 2009 holding assistant roles with a number of teams before becoming the lead assistant in Minnesota in 2021. Now, he earns his first head coaching job with a team looking to return to the playoffs and continue to develop with young talent.
