Chris Finch Defends Micah Nori’s Trail Blazers Deal and Has a Message for the Critics

Micah Nori is finally a head coach in the NBA. That should be the headline. And for a few hours Tuesday, it was. Then everyone saw the contract.

The Portland Trail Blazers gave Nori just one guaranteed year with team options for 2027-2028 and 2028-2029. New owner Tom Dundon has been tightening the purse strings since taking over, and this deal looked like another cost-cutting move. Fans and analysts called it stingy. Some wondered why Nori would even sign it.

Chris Finch had a different take. The Timberwolves head coach, who worked alongside Nori for years in Minnesota, spoke up for his former assistant. He also made it clear he thinks the conversation got twisted in the wrong direction.

“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 told The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “That’s a personal decision. That’s a business decision.”

Finch pointed out something obvious but easy to forget: there are only 30 head coaching jobs in the NBA. They don’t open up often. And when they do, the pool of qualified candidates is deep.

“There are 30 of these jobs. They’re hard to get. They’re incredibly rewarding in a lot of different ways,” Finch said. “I know he wasn’t focused on, certainly, money, but he was first focused on opportunity. That’s what we preach to all of our guys here. You should chase opportunity, not money.”

Finch said he doesn’t know exactly what Nori is getting paid and added that it’s not really his business to ask. What he does know is what Nori can do with a clipboard and a roster.

Nori started his coaching career in Toronto back in 2009. He spent the last few seasons in Minnesota, working his way up through the assistant ranks. Finch saw the work up close. The late nights. The prep. The way Nori connects with players.

“You’ve got to bet on yourself in this world. Especially when you’re an outsider. We consider ourselves a little bit of outsiders,” Finch said. “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’ve got to take chances along the way. I’m super excited for him.”

Nori replaces Tiago Splitter, who left Portland after the Blazers wouldn’t give him a standard contract. Splitter was hired by the Chicago Bulls last week.