Report: Darko Rajakovic Agrees to Contract as Raptors HC After;….
Report: Darko Rajakovic Agrees to Contract as Raptors HC After;….
Darko Rajakovic has found a new home.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Toronto Raptors are set to employ the Memphis Grizzlies assistant as their new head coach for the 2023-24 season.
Rajakovic will succeed Nick Nurse, who was sacked by the Raptors on April 21 after a poor end to the 2022-23 season, in which Toronto placed ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 41-41 record and lost in the first round of the play-in tournament to the Chicago Bulls.
“The feel, the spirit of who we really are, it’s been very disappointing for us,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said following Nurse’s resignation. “We want to regain momentum as a team. Togetherness, culture, and everything we’ve stood for here,
The hiring of Rajakovic to replace Nurse comes as little surprise, as Wojnarowski reported in April that Toronto’s wide-ranging search included the 44-year-old.
Sergio Scariolo and Kenny Atkinson were the other two finalists for the job, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Rajakovic served as an assistant for the Grizzlies from 2020-2023, playing a key role in the franchise’s rise as one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
Rajakovic also served as an assistant for the Phoenix Suns from 2019-20 and an assistant for the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2014-2019.
He also has G League experience, having served as head coach of the Tulsa 66ers (now the Oklahoma City Blue) from 2012-2014.
Now in Toronto, Rajakovic will be tasked with leading a talented roster that includes Scottie Barnes, O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam back to the postseason, and perhaps an eventual berth in the NBA Finals.
