The Portland Trail Blazers has hired Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant Micah Nori as Head Coach on a multi-year deal, Yankee Scores reports.
Who Is Micah Nori?
Nori played college basketball at Indiana and began his coaching career with the Toronto Raptors in 2009. After Toronto, he had stops with the Sacramento Kings (2013-15), Denver Nuggets (2015-18) and Detroit Pistons (2018-21) before joining the Timberwolves in 2021.
He’s been a big part of Minnesota’s recent rise in the Western Conference, with the Wolves winning a playoff series each of the last three years and making the Western Conference Finals in both 2024 and 2025.
Just in: The Portland Trail Blazers are hiring Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant Micah Nori as the franchise’s next head coach, sources tell ESPN. Nori — widely regarded as one of the league’s top assistants — has been in the NBA coaching ranks since 2009 and now takes over… pic.twitter.com/j5PDc5KlFF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2026
The Search Procedure
Per ESPN, Portland GM Joe Cronin conducted a wide-ranging search, interviewing more than a dozen candidates. The other two finalists besides Nori were Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook and former interim coach Tiago Splitter, who was hired last week by the Chicago Bulls. Nori was selected by Portland for his superior communication and relationship skills.
Details of the Contract
Nori is signing on a one-of-a-kind contract with only a guaranteed year. He’ll coach through the 2026-27 season, and the Blazers hold two team options for 2027-28 and 2028-29.
“After an exhaustive search process, it became clear that Micah is the type of person we want to lead this franchise,” Blazers GM Joe Cronin said. “He has been an important part of successful organizations and brings a wealth of expertise, proven ability to develop players and an authentic style of play that fits with the culture we are building”
“I’m so thankful for the chance to coach the Trail Blazers,” Nori said. “This is a team with a lot of talent and I am looking forward to getting to work with our players and staff.”
Breaking: The Portland Trail Blazers are hiring Minnesota Timberwolves lead assistant Micah Nori as the franchise’s next head coach, sources tell @shamscharania.
Get breaking news alerts from Shams Charania through the ESPN App: https://t.co/QEjDpr2WVy pic.twitter.com/B4UqcY7t2i
— ESPN (@espn) June 23, 2026
What’s Next For Portland?
Nori inherits a Blazers team that has obvious playoff talent and the challenge of maximizing the potential of a group that is eager to advance after falling in the first round to the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs. He is the sixth and final head coaching vacancy to be filled this offseason in the NBA.
