Mica Nori, newly appointed head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, the team of Israeli forward Deni Avdija, has already become the center of an NBA controversy before coaching his first game. The dispute is not about basketball, but about the unusual contract he signed with Portland, which critics say could set a dangerous precedent for coaches in the league.
According to ESPN and The Athletic, the 52-year-old Nori received only one guaranteed season, while the team holds options on each of the next two years. His base salary is also below what is typical for an NBA head coach, and a significant part of his compensation depends on the team’s performance.
Detroit Pistons coach and NBA Coaches Association president J.B. Bickerstaff led the criticism. “Most owners understand there is value in quality coaching and are willing to pay for it,” he told ESPN. “For a new coach to come in and cut the legs out from under other coaches, that’s a slap in the face for us.” He added that his issue is not personal, noting Nori waited nearly three decades for his first head-coaching job. “I’m happy for him, he earned it honestly,” Bickerstaff said, “but I’m worried about the precedent this contract could set. How can a coach demand accountability from players when it seems he can be replaced at any moment? It’s almost like a substitute teacher, with no security and no long-term backing.”
The criticism is aimed mainly at Portland’s new owner, Tom Dundon, who bought the club earlier this year. Since taking over, he has been criticized for cost-cutting moves, including firing about 70 employees and reducing travel expenses. Dundon says all decisions are driven by an “uncompromising pursuit of winning.”
Before the season ended, U.S. reports said Portland did not intend to pay top dollar for an inexperienced coach. General manager Joe Cronin later explained that the team believes in a model of “shared risk,” under which a coach at the start of his career gets a different deal from a proven veteran. Nori beat out Tiago Splitter, who took the Chicago job, and Boston assistant Tyler Lashbrook. He now faces not only the challenge of building Portland around Avdija, Damian Lillard and a young roster, but also the noise surrounding a contract that has become a major talking point among NBA coaches.
