Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff blasted the Portland Trail Blazers for signing Micah Nori to a lame-duck coaching contract.
The Trail Blazers hired Nori to be the franchise’s head coach after letting former interim head coach Tiago Splitter go to the Chicago Bulls.
However, instead of giving Nori a standard coaching contract with several guaranteed years of pay, the Blazers only gave him one guaranteed year of pay, followed by two team options.
It’s an extremely unusual structure for an NBA coaching contract, and one that ultimately makes Nori a lame-duck head coach, as the Blazers can fire him at any point and only have to pay him for one season.
Given that the new Blazers owner, Tom Dundon, has been given the label of cheapskate for some of the other business moves he’s made since taking over Portland earlier this year, this contract to Nori doesn’t help Dundon shed that label, and other head coaches around the league have taken notice of it, including Bickerstaff.
J.B. Bickerstaff Blasts Blazers for Micah Nori’s Contract
Speaking to Tim McMahon of ESPN, Bickerstaff voiced his displeasure with Nori’s contract with the Blazers.
“I understand his story and his journey to get to the spot where he was able to get this opportunity, and I don’t want to take away from what should be a special moment for him, for his family, and a job that’s well deserved and earned. That’s first and foremost,” Bickertaff said.
“But I feel like he was put in a situation that he shouldn’t be put in with having to make a choice of this nature because of the structure of what the contract is. It’s unfortunate that you have a dream, and from our perspective, it’s like someone’s taking advantage of your dream and devaluing what we feel like coaches have earned over the years.
“You think about the sacrifice, the time, the growth that coaches have helped and done with the NBA, and then for someone to come in and attempt to devalue the work that coaches have in this league is extremely disappointing.”
Micah Nori Just Wanted a Chance to Be an NBA Head Coach
You may ask yourself why Nori signed this contract, since it appears to be very team-friendly and unfriendly to the coach.
Well, when you consider that Nori has been an assistant coach in the NBA for 17 seasons, it was clear he just wanted the chance to be a head coach, and he was willing to take a one-year prove-it deal with the Blazers to do so.
While it’s not a good contract for an NBA head coach, it’s not like Dundon and the Blazers put a gun to Nori’s head and forced him to sign the contract. He signed it knowing it was for one year and that he would have to prove it, so ultimately, he decided to take it.
Still, it’s a bad look for the Blazers, and it certainly doesn’t do anything to dispel the notion that Dundon is a cheapskate owner who will cut corners at any chance he can get.
J.B. Bickerstaff Blasts Blazers for Micah Nori’s Lame-Duck Contract