Chicago's Next Moves Could Hit Timberwolves Hard

It appears that Timberwolves lead assistant Micah Nori could finally get a chance to be a head coach in the NBA, possibly following Minnesota assistant general manager Matt Lloyd to Chicago.

According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Bulls may be on the verge of hiring Lloyd to be their next general manager, with Lloyd then hiring Nori to become the 22nd permanent head coach in the Bulls' storied history.

Cowley wrote that, "although there was no clear-cut favorite for the job as of last Monday, Lloyd has taken the lead and could be named to the position in the next several days." Cowley added, citing a source with the Wolves, that "if he gets the Bulls job, he undoubtedly would make Micah Nori the new head coach."

Nori, the top assistant under head coach Chris Finch since 2021, has interviewed for numerous head coaching jobs before, including the Lakers, Pistons, Cavaliers, and the Knicks, where he was reportedly a finalist before New York hired Mike Brown.

With the Dallas Mavericks reportedly lurking around Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, Lloyd leaving could put more pressure on owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez to do everything in their power to avoid losing both this summer.

"League sources say that the Mavericks continue to have strong interest in the pursuit of Wolves lead executive Tim Connelly," NBA insider Marc Stein reported a week ago. "Dallas is searching for a new head of basketball operations and, while Connelly is said to no longer hold an opt-out provision in his current contract, belief persists in various league circles that there are scenarios that would render him 'gettable' once Minnesota's 2025-26 season is complete."

Stein indicated that the Bulls will conduct in-person interviews with Lloyd and other general manager candidates before the NBA Draft Combine is held in Chicago, May 10-17. That's next week, so the timing aligns with Cowley's reporting.

If Lloyd and Nori wind up in Chicago, it could give the Bulls even more of an edge if guard Ayo Dosunmu doesn't re-sign with Minnesota before becoming a free agent in July. Dosunmu is from Chicago, played at Illinois in college, and spent the first four and a half seasons of his NBA career with the Bulls before the Wolves acquired him in February.

A rebuild in Chicago may not interest Dosunmu as much as an opportunity for a big role, and likely a starting role now that Donte DiVincenzo will be rehabbing a surgically repaired Achilles tendon most of next season, in Minnesota, but the 26-year-old hasn't ruled out a return to the Windy City.

"Everything is on the table when you're a free agent," Dosunmu said on April 24. "That's the main thing about being a free agent: you listen. You have conversations with whoever is interested. I'll sit down with my family, and you have those conversations about where the next duration of my career will be, but Minnesota has shown me love here. I love the love I've been getting from the coaching staff, the fans, the players. So of course, Minnesota will have the first dibs to do right and make me feel at home, where I won't even have to go out and entertain [other offers]. This is what free agency is all about: sitting down and talking to teams. So I wouldn't rule out no team."

You can see the domino effect that could be unfolding here. If the Bulls hire Lloyd, he could bring Nori with him. And if Dosunmu loves Chicago and trusts the two guys tasked with leading a rebuild, the Bulls could gain an advantage if Dosunmu reaches free agency.

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