Former Raptors Assistant Coach Among Those to be Interviewed by Cavaliers

Former Toronto Raptors assistant coach Micah Nori will reportedly be interviewed by the Cleveland Cavaliers to potentially be the organization's next head coach

Mar 8, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets assistant coach Micah Nori reacts from the bench in the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Micah Nori may finally be getting his first shot at an NBA head coaching gig.

It's been a while since Nori first broke into the NBA as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors back in 2009. Nori had previously worked for Toronto in the early 2000s under then-Raptors coach Butch Carter before officially being hired to join Jay Triano's staff. Nori briefly stuck around for the beginning of Dwane Casey's coaching career in Toronto before eventually heading to Sacramento.

The 50-year-old has spent the past decade as an assistant coach for the Kings, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Minnesota Timberwolves, and will reportedly be among those interviewed for the Cleveland Cavaliers' vacant head coaching job, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

The Cleveland Cavaliers received permission to interview Minnesota Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori for franchise’s head coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Nori has also talked with the Lakers for vacancy there. Nori is an Ohio native. pic.twitter.com/pqmD4u802c

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 3, 2024

Nori has also reportedly spoken to the Los Angeles Lakers about their head coaching job, though JJ Redick is widely believed to be the frontrunner in landing that job.

Cleveland fired J. B. Bickerstaff last month following a second-round playoff exit and loss to the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers have reportedly also spoken to Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, New Orleans assistant James Borrego, New York assistant Johnnie Bryant, and Miami assistant Chris Quinn.

Former Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin was Toronto's most recent assistant coach to land a head coaching opporunity. He landed the Milwaukee Bucks job last summer but was dismissed mid-season following a lackluster to start to the year.

Toronto hired Darko Rajaković off the Memphis Grizzlies' coaching staff last summer after parting ways with former head coach Nick Nurse.