In Las Vegas, Nathan Bubes stepped into the makeshift locker room at halftime of the Timberwolves’ Summer League opener against New Orleans and told the players, “We need to take a deep breath.” He added, “So do I,” signaling his intent to lead the squad through the two-week stint.
Bubes will oversee a roster that includes second-round pick Isaiah Evans, point guard Zyon Pullin, sharpshooter Nate Santos, rookie forward Rocco Zikarsky and two-way forward Enrique Freeman. His charge is to develop these fringe players, get the draft pick up to speed, and provide Finch’s staff with detailed evaluations.
The promotion follows a season as chief of staff for head coach Chris Finch and a year as an assistant with the G League Iowa Wolves. Finch praised Bubes, saying, “He deserves the opportunity just because of how important he’s been to me.” Bubes has also served as the “hot-seat” man during games, deciding whether Finch should challenge calls, and has handled daily planning, organization, and staff communication.
Bubes entered the NBA as a barely paid intern with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018, then worked as a student manager at Boston College, spent a brief stint at BYU, and took a video-coordinator role in New Orleans before joining Finch’s staff. His early years included a season assisting the Iowa Wolves, the Timberwolves’ G League affiliate, where he learned the league’s developmental rhythm.
Raised in the Washington, D.C., area, Bubes grew up in a family that ran laundromats that cleaned tablecloths. He recalls wandering the corridors of the Thomas & Mack Center as a fan, scanning the credentials around every neck in hopes of striking a conversation that could open a door.
By running the summer squad, Bubes now directly shapes the growth of players on the fringe of the regular-season roster and feeds his observations back to Finch, reinforcing the Wolves’ emphasis on internal development and continuity.
