One prominent NBA assistant coach appears poised to finally land a head coaching job this summer.
Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori is a finalist for the coaching vacancies in both Dallas and Portland, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Nori is reportedly one of the two finalists for the Portland job, while he is in a tier of finalists in Dallas.
Wolves assistant Micah Nori is a top candidate for both of the NBA's coaching vacancies, league sources say.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 16, 2026
Nori is a confirmed Portland finalist alongside Boston's Tyler Lashbrook and among Dallas' top contenders.
Tiago Splitter just left the Blazers to take Chicago's job. https://t.co/1Pp6aLJZT4 pic.twitter.com/BIBPHqaam9
Nori has been getting head coach buzz for years. He served as the Timberwolves’ on-court coach during the 2024 playoffs when Chris Finch suffered a torn patellar tendon, and while that gained him a lot of notoriety, he did not parlay it into a head coaching job. He has remained with Minnesota ever since.
The Blazers have been pondering their head coaching decision for quite some time. They allowed interim coach Tiago Splitter to take the Chicago Bulls job, so they will definitely have someone new in charge next season.
The Mavericks might be a better landing spot with Cooper Flagg in the fold. Not much has been said about that search in recent weeks, as they have progressed fairly quietly.
