Timberwolves and coach Chris Finch agree to 4-year extension: Report

The Minnesota Timberwolves and head coach Chris Finch have agreed to a four-year contract extension. reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Finch has coached the Timberwolves for the past four years. Last season was his best yet, as Minnesota finished 56-26, the second-best record in franchise history behind stars Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. He was named coach of the Western Conference team for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.

The Timberwolves eventually reached the West Finals, where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in five games.

The 2024 postseason was particularly eventful for Finch. While the Timberwolves advanced to the West Finals for the second time in team history, the coach suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee after colliding with Mike Conley on the sideline during Game 4 of their first-round NBA playoff win over the Phoenix Suns.

Finch required surgery to repair the tear and his right leg had to be immobilized in a brace as a result. Nevertheless, he sat on the bench in Game 1 of Minnesota’s second-round game against the Denver Nuggets. However, Finch was unable to stand or pace the sideline and delegated that task to his assistant Micah Nori.

(Incidentally, Nori has reportedly applied for head coaching positions with the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.)

The Timberwolves swept the defending NBA champion Nuggets in a seven-game series. In that Game 7, Minnesota overcame a 15-point halftime deficit, the largest in NBA Game 7 history, and a 20-point second-half lead to defeat Denver.

Finch took over the Timberwolves job in an unusual way. He was hired by the Toronto Raptors’ staff during the 2020-21 season to replace the fired Ryan Saunders. As Minnesota’s head coach, he has compiled a 160-127 winning record. Those 160 wins are the second-most in franchise history, while his .557 winning percentage is the best.

Prior to Toronto, he spent 10 seasons as an NBA assistant coach with the Houston Rockets, Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans. Before joining the NBA team staff, Finch coached the NBA G League’s Rio Valley Grande Vipers, who won the championship and were named Coach of the Year.