The Chicago Bulls have hired Tiago Splitter as their next head coach, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.
Chicago has officially stolen away one of the three finalists for the Portland Trail Blazers head coaching position, leaving Minnesota's Micah Nori and Boston's Tyler Lashbrook as the remaining candidates.
Now, Portland should turn its attention to Nori, making him the priority over Lashbrook.
Blazers need to hire Timberwolves' Micah Nori ASAP
Nori was also a finalist for Chicago's coaching vacancy, having left a strong impression during the interview process as well.
It's fair to wonder how negatively affected Portland was by the timing of Tom Dundon's NHL Carolina Hurricanes, who defeated the Vegas Golden Knights to take the Stanley Cup Trophy in a 4-2 series that concluded Sunday. The Blazers narrowed down their initial wide net of candidates, but that process was reportedly slowed down as Dundon understandably turned his attention to the Hurricanes.
Dundon may be off to a bad start in Portland, given his negative PR primarily tied to his cost-cutting measures. Still, you can't argue with the results and success he's had in turning around the Hurricanes franchise.
Another thing Dundon has already done in Portland that rubbed many the wrong way was starting the coaching search while Splitter had the Blazers back in the postseason. Veteran coaches like Michael Malone and Tom Thibodeau even declined the interview request because they didn't agree with how it all went down. Could that have rubbed Splitter the wrong way as well?
There are more questions than answers about whether Splitter would've been the preferred candidate in Portland, or whether his being a finalist was more of a formality after the relatively successful season he's had in what was an unexpected audition. We can't blame him one bit for taking the guaranteed position in Chicago. Not only is it one of 30 coveted positions in the league, but it's also one of the biggest markets, with an up-and-coming roster that's finally set on a direction.
Like young and inexperienced players, Splitter himself grew a lot throughout the course of the season, too. Given the Bulls' new timeline, he should be a great fit as a player's coach who has already proven he can get the most out of his players when it comes to development and maximizing talent.
That said, this is a Blazers team that can't afford to be as patient as the Bulls when it comes to coaching growing pains. They are looking to build off their 42-win season with a healthier roster headlined by Damian Lillard's return.
With 25 years of NBA experience, Nori is the right man for Portland's win-now aspirations and Dundon's high expectations. Nori has been the Timberwolves' lead assistant under Chris Finch since 2021. That's resulted in five playoff appearances, including two Western Conference Finals.
There's also some overlap in Minnesota's and Portland's roster construction that should make him a great fit. Rudy Gobert won yet another Defensive Player of the Year award with Nori, and Portland is hoping their own elite rim protector, Donovan Clingan, joins that conversation sooner rather than later.
While Nori's experience will help this team win now, it's also important to note the other developmental aspect of the Blazers' two-timeline approach. Anthony Edwards blossomed into a superstar with Nori. Jaden McDaniels became a co-star, proving his two-way impact and ceiling were higher than most expected.
Portland could make a blockbuster trade this summer to lean into that win-now timeline. They could continue playing the patient, long game. Either way, Nori is the right man for the job. Splitter's well-earned departure to Chicago makes that all the more clear.
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