The Portland Trail Blazers have finally hired a head coach, naming Mikea Nuri on an unusual NBA contract, one year with team options for each of the next two seasons. The deal has drawn sharp public criticism from Detroit Pistons coach and coaches union chairman J.B. Bickerstaff, who said the arrangement undermines league values.
Bickerstaff blamed owner Tom Dundon for what he described as taking advantage of Nuri, saying, “I understand his journey, he earned this work, but he is in a situation he should not have been in. They took advantage of him, it is like a slap in the face.” He added that coaches sacrifice to reach this level and called the deal disrespectful, saying it feels like “a slap in the face to our values” and that the league values quality coaching.
Former coaches union president and current Indiana coach Rick Carlisle defended Nuri, calling him “a great and respected coach” and saying, “His future is ahead of him.” Nuri is taking an NBA head-coaching job for the first time after years as an assistant, most recently with Minnesota.
The article says Nuri’s salary is below the league average, making the contract especially unusual for a first-time head coach. He has long been regarded as a respected and well-liked figure around the NBA.