Top Wolves Assistant Now in the Mix for Three Head Coaching Openings

Micah Nori has been the Timberwolves' lead assistant coach since 2021, and the 2025-26 season could be his last in Minnesota.

Nori has become a hot name in NBA head coaching circles, which resulted in him interviewing for the Knicks opening last offseason, and he was linked to the Lakers the year before that. After another postseason run, he's still one of the most popular candidates this cycle.

Chicago is looking for Billy Donovan's replacement this offseason, and Nori is reportedly a top candidate. The Mavericks and new GM Masai Ujiri let go of Jason Kidd, and Nori is a major candidate for that job as well.

Nori's interest across the league doesn't stop there. NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Thursday that he's a finalist to be the next head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers alongside interim coach Tiago Splitter and LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy.

Minnesota's Micah Nori is also a finalist for the Portland coaching vacancy, @TheSteinLine has learned.

Nori, Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter and LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy are the known finalists. https://t.co/Aykpn7JEBL
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 22, 2026

There are currently four head coaching vacancies, and Nori has now been connected to three. It's not a matter of if he leaves Minnesota, but when. He's 52 years old, he has proven himself as one of the top assistant coaches in the sport, and he's a top head coaching candidate for the second straight offseason.

The Dallas job is probably the most intriguing opening in this cycle for any potential head coach. Cooper Flagg gives them a young superstar, and they now have a proven GM with Ujiri. San Antonio's Sean Sweeney is reportedly a strong candidate for that job, so their search could carry into June, depending on the Spurs' playoff run.

The Chicago job feels like it's one notch below Dallas, but it's a big market gig for a historic franchise. They re-shuffled their front office this offseason, so they could be aggressive in their search as well. Sweeney is reportedly a candidate for the Bulls, along with Oklahoma City's Dave Bliss. The playoffs will clearly have a big impact on the coaching cycle.

The Portland job is interesting because Splitter surprisingly led the Trail Blazers to the postseason after taking over for Chauncey Billups. Their new owner, Tom Dundon, has already made some questionable decisions, so the search could be hard to predict.

Assistant coaches will never get the credit, nor the blame, but it's clear that Nori is a big part of what Minnesota does. Keeping him through another cycle seems unlikely, but not impossible.

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