Micah Nori signed a coaching deal that is only guaranteed for a year and loaded with incentives over guarantees. Will this have consequences for future first-time coaches?
Head of the coaches association, J.B. Bickerstaff, has already voiced his displeasure over Micah Nori's subpar deal to take over as head coach of the Blazers. Perhaps it's a testament to Nori's reputation as well-liked around the league that the Pistons coach would go to bat for him. It also unfortunately sets a terrible precedent that league governors can use against coaches going forward. The leaked details of the complaint reveal it features only one year guaranteed, and pay is partially contingent on reaching incentives. His year-to-year deal is an anomaly among NBA head coaches and the coaches association would like to stop it from inspiring any trend. The Blazers' leadership has gotten in hot water for laying off 70 people and cutting costs in terms of player travel.
The way Tiago Splitter was ushered out the door and moved on to Chicago was also alarming. He led one of the league's youngest teams to the playoffs ahead of schedule. They relied on a very inexperienced core as Splitter developed Deni Avdija into an All-Star and Most Improved Player contender. Splitter navigated minutes for glue guys like Jrue Holiday and a host of youthful talent with great effect, allowing different players to shine on different nights. Splitter already indicated in his exit interview following the playoffs that he had received no guarantees.
Nori, during his time as an assistant, was one of the most respected in the league. As the lead assistant for the Timberwolves, he has taken over head-coaching duties in the 2024 postseason after Chris Finch went down with a knee injury while coaching against Phoenix.
Nori has been associated with the NBA since 2009 and has been on the Minnesota staff since 2021. He was also considered for the Chicago and Dallas jobs this offseason. In the last few cycles, he interviewed for the Knicks and Lakers head coach roles. The Blazers head coach role is quite appealing with their plethora of young talent and Dame Lillard returning with an even bigger chip on his shoulder. Nori, chasing a head role for so long, may have been more susceptible to taking a bad deal to reach his goal of calling the shots.
Since Nori chose to take the deal, the coaches association can back him up and sound their concerns, but it seems the precedent is set, and that could lead to trouble in terms of fewer guarantees for coaches going forward.
