Minnesota Timberwolves and head coach Chris Finch agree to contract extension

After their most successful season since 2004, the Minnesota Timberwolves have extended their contract with head coach Chris Finch. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Finch’s The contract is extended by four years and will run until the 2027–28 season.

Last season, Finch led the Timberwolves to a 56-26 record, their best since the 2003-04 season. In addition, he led the team to their first playoff series win in 20 years, including a seven-game second-round series against the 2023 NBA champion Denver Nuggets.

Where Chris Finch stands in the Timberwolves’ coaching history

Finch is the second most successful coach in franchise history, only Flip Saunders is better

Finch took over as Minnesota’s head coach for the 2020-21 season. Although the Timberwolves finished the season 16-25, they stuck with Finch. Since taking over, Finch has led the team to a 160-127 record. Only Flip Saunders, who coached the Timberwolves for 819 games in parts of 11 seasons, has accomplished more in franchise history.

In 2021, on the sixth anniversary of Saunders’ death, Finch spoke about his lasting impact on the team and its success, as the Post Bulletin detailed.

What is the Timberwolves’ offseason outlook?

The contract extension with Finch is only the first domino to fall for Minnesota this summer

By agreeing to a contract extension with Finch, the Timberwolves can now cross one item off their offseason to-do list. However, there are still many decisions the team must make this summer. The Timberwolves are expected to have six free agents. This includes key player Kyle Anderson. Anderson spent the last two seasons of his career in Minnesota and has grown into his role. Last season, the 30-year-old averaged 6.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 4.2 APG.

After the team’s loss in the Western Conference finals to the Dallas Mavericks, Anderson expressed his desire to stay with the Timberwolves.

Additionally, Finch’s contract extension shows that the front office has confidence in the team, that they can pull it off with their core and aim for a better result next season. It will be worth watching this offseason to see what the team does to build on their impressive 2023-24 season.

All statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference.

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