National Basketball Coaches Association president J.B. Bickerstaff called the unconventional structure of new Portland Trail Blazers coach Micah Nori's contract a "slap in the face to our value," an opinion echoed by several coaches throughout the league.
According to league sources, Nori's contract with the Trail Blazers includes only one guaranteed year, with team options on the second and third years of the deal. The deal has a below-market base salary and includes incentives based on team success, sources told ESPN.
Nori, 52, is a first-time head coach who spent the past five seasons as the Minnesota Timberwolves' lead assistant coach and is well liked and highly regarded throughout the league. He interviewed for several head coach openings in recent years before being offered the job by new Portland governor Tom Dundon and general manager Joe Cronin, who conducted a search that included dozens of candidates and began informally during the regular season while interim coach Tiago Splitter was in the midst of leading the Trail Blazers to the playoffs.