Portland Trail Blazers appoint Micah Nori as head coach

The Portland Trail Blazers have hired longtime NBA assistant Micah Nori as their next head coach, agreeing to a one-year contract with team options for the following two seasons. The deal, confirmed on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, gives the 52-year-old his first head coaching opportunity after 28 years as an assistant, most recently as the lead assistant for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The contract's structure, described as an incentive-laden sliding scale based on team success, has drawn significant attention across the league for its unusually short guaranteed term. The arrangement has been characterized by some observers as unprecedented for an NBA head coach, raising questions about the long-term commitment from the team's new owner, Tom Dundon.

Nori emerged as a finalist for the Portland vacancy alongside former Blazers acting head coach Tiago Splitter-who was recently hired by the Chicago Bulls-and Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook. He inherits a Blazers team that finished 42-40 last season, securing the seventh seed in the Western Conference and winning a play-in game before a first-round playoff exit under Splitter. Splitter had taken over on an interim basis last...