The Toronto Raptors have met with an unlikely candidate for head coach.
“According to Shams Karania of The Athletic, the Raptors have held discussions with former head coach Steve Nash for the head coaching position.
Toronto parted ways with head coach Nick Nurse after this season. The team decided to part ways with Nick Nurse after the season because they had different ideas about how to run the team, but also because he took some of the blame for the team’s decline after winning the championship. Toronto eventually decided to hire a new coaching staff.
Toronto then conducted an extensive search for a number of candidates. Most of them were incumbents. Kenny Atkinson (Golden State), Charles Lee (Milwaukee), Kevin Young (Phoenix), Mitch Johnson (San Antonio), Jordy Fernandez (Sacramento), Darko Rajakovic (Memphis), and Chris Quinn (Miami) were reportedly in talks.
There was also a former head coach. Frank Vogel and Ime Yudaka (Houston) were among the candidates. But while Yudaka has decided to stay, Toronto is still mulling it over. WNBA head coach Becky Hammon (Las Vegas), analyst J.J. Redick, and former head coach Monty Williams are also in the running. Williams’ recent firing has made him a favorite.
However, it has been confirmed that Toronto has met with former coach Steve Nash. It’s not a scheduled meeting, but an in-depth conversation about the job. Nash was fired by the Brooklyn Nets earlier this season. He was fired by the Nets earlier this offseason after the team struggled to win despite having Kevin Durant (Phoenix) and Kyrie Irving (Dallas). Brooklyn was a different team after the firing.
During his time as head coach, Brooklyn relied heavily on Durant and Irving, as well as James Harden (Philadelphia). He went 94-67 in the regular season over two seasons, but failed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals in the playoffs. Durant’s injuries and Irving’s outbursts overlapped during his tenure, but a poor start to this season hasn’t saved him from being fired.메이저사이트
However, considering Toronto may be rebuilding, Nash may not be a bad fit. However, it’s questionable whether Nash is a unique candidate given the number of candidates above. With plenty of time to spare, it’s expected that Toronto will take their time with the hiring process.