The Toronto Raptors reportedly are finalizing a deal to hire Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach Darko Rajakovic as their new coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report.
Rajakovic will replace Nick Nurse as coach in Toronto. The Raptors parted ways with Nurse after their loss in the 2023 AT&T Play-In Tournament. Nurse spent five seasons in Toronto and guided the team to an NBA title in his first season (2018-19).
Rajakovic is Serbian and has been involved in coaching since his late teens. He’s had summer league and consulting experience with the San Antonio Spurs, began coaching in the G League (then called the NBA Development League) in 2012, and spent the last nine seasons as an assistant with Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Memphis.
Rajakovic’s hiring means all 30 NBA coaching jobs are currently filled. There were six hirings since the end of the season: Ime Udoka in Houston, Nurse in Philadelphia, Monty Williams in Detroit, Adrian Griffin in Milwaukee, Frank Vogel in Phoenix — replacing Williams, and now Rajakovic.
Of the league’s 30 teams, 19 have changed coaches at some point in the last two years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
