Chris Finch Talks Nori's Departure, Expanded Roles for McDaniels and Reid

Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch spoke to reporters in Minnesota during the first night of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday. Finch isn't allowed to comment on transactions that aren't yet official, like Monday night's Julius Randle trade or the new five-year contract for Ayo Dosunmu. But he did indirectly comment on those items, and he was able to speak freely about assistant coach Micah Nori finally landing his first head coaching gig with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Nori's departure

"Very excited for him," Finch said. "Real proud of him. It's a great opportunity, it certainly speaks to all the success that we've been able to have here. He'll be amazing. He has such a deep foundation, understands all angles of this job. He's ready for it. He's elite in his relationship-building, and I know he'll fit right in in a situation where it's really promising. I think it's gonna be a perfect match."

Nori had been the Timberwolves' lead assistant since Finch's hire in 2021. He was a candidate for previous head coach vacancies in recent years and has now landed one with the Blazers, who are coming off a 42-win season. The relationship between Nori and Finch dates back to when they were assistant coaches together with the Nuggets during the 2016-17 season.

"Very close," Finch said of their friendship. "So close that he decided to buy a property in the same place I live down in Florida in the offseason, so I'm kind of stuck with him for life now. But it goes all the way back to Denver. We had a fast chemistry, shared sense of humor, we see the game the same way. Passionate about all the right things in the same manner."

Micah Nori | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

One thing that stood out from the reporting about Nori being hired is that he only got one guaranteed year on his contract with Portland, plus team options for the following two seasons. That's somewhat unprecedented in major professional sports. Finch was frustrated to see that specific element distract from a triumphant moment for Nori.

"I thought it was a shame that a lot of the story about Micah's great opportunity was overshadowed by the nature of the deal that he signed," Finch said. "That's a personal decision, that's a business decision that's between him, the team, and the agent. ... I just know this, there's 30 of these jobs. They're hard to get. And they're incredible rewarding in a lot of different ways.

"I know he wasn't focused on certainly money but he was focused on opportunity," Finch added. "And then I also know that you gotta bet on yourself in this world. Especially when you're an outsider. We consider ourselves a little bit of outsiders; we weren't raised in the game, we didn't play at North Carolina or Duke. So sometimes your path is just different, and you gotta take chances along the way."

As for who will replace Nori on the Timberwolves' staff, Finch said he's going to be patient in that regard. It could be an external hire, but he hinted at the possibility of an internal promotion.

"I've got a lot of thoughts at the moment," he said. "We'll wait until the dust settles, there might be some more movement as these other staffs get built out too. Just gonna take my time. Got a lot of really willing and worthy guys to promote from within, for sure, give them new opportunities, and I think that's what we're about first and foremost."

Naz and Jaden's futures

Finch wasn't asked about the reported trade that sent Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in what amounts to a salary dump for the Timberwolves. He was asked about Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid, who are clearly now in line to take on greater offensive workloads alongside Anthony Edwards. The Wolves are making a big bet on the development of those two players.

"It's just about creating the opportunities now," Finch said. "I think we've seen it, what they can do. Their job is to make sure it stays at a consistently high level. And a timely one, too. When we need it. And we've seen that. We've talked about this before, when you have a lot of great options, it's just a usage puzzle. And we just gotta make sure that the usage is appropriate and they get enough of their opportunities."

The Wolves have seen McDaniels' offensive production rise steadily and consistently throughout his career. They've also seen him elevate his game in that playoffs, when it matters most. He's now in line to be Minnesota's No. 2 scoring option for the first time. And Reid, who has shined as their sixth man, is in line to be a full-season starter for the first time. A lot of the Wolves' success will hinge on them rising to meet those opportunities.

"We also learned things we can maybe do a little bit different," Finch said. "We figured out Jaden this year. I think Naz has more room to help us too, I think one thing he can do is get back to being a great playmaker. We've used him as such a great scorer, but we need some more connective tissue out there. I think he can definitely do that, he's such a quick decision-maker and he's a really gifted passer. Was really pleased with his defense through the playoffs, too. That's kind of come and gone at times for him."

What Ayo brings

One benefit of the Randle trade is that it freed up room for the Wolves to re-sign Dosunmu on a five-year, $112 million contract. He fit in perfectly after coming over from the Bulls at this year's trade deadline, and now he'll be around for a long time as part of Minnesota's core, even if Finch can't yet discuss that.

"I can't speak to the future of Ayo here, I can just let you know how impactful he was for us in a lot of different ways," Finch said. "He was kind of what we needed. Loved his attitude, his approach, his professionalism. We think his fit is ideal. What he did in a short period of time certainly proved that. We were grateful to get him, and we hope we can work out something in the future."

Rolling with the punches

Let's end with a good quote from Finch on embracing change in the NBA.

"I learned this in some of the more volatile environments I coached in, whether it be overseas or in the G League, if you're not willing to embrace change that comes at you when you don't get to choose it, it can eat you alive," Finch said. "We'll be ready. We'll figure out what our staff needs and same with our roster. I think that's been one of the secrets to our success here."

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