Raptors hire Darko Rajakovic as head coach, think former assistant can lead contender or rebuilder, per report

The Toronto Raptors are hiring Darko Rajakovic as their subsequent head trainer, Adrian Wojnarowski reports. The Raptors went with Rajakovic, a Memphis Grizzlies assistant, over different finalists, together with Sacramento Kings affiliate head trainer Jordi Fernandez and former Raptors assistant trainer Sergio Scariolo. Rajakovic will take over as head trainer after the workforce parted tactics with Nick Nurse on the finish of its 2022-23 season. Nurse went directly to take the head training gig with the Philadelphia 76ers. 

The Raptors selected Rajakovic for the reason that workforce believes he suits each paths that Toronto may cross down over the following yr, per Wojnarowski. If Toronto comes to a decision to stay its core avid gamers intact of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby, the Raptors entrance place of work feels Rajakovic can “coach a contending team.” However, if the Raptors as a substitute make a decision to hit the reset button and rebuild round younger budding superstar Scottie Barnes, the workforce thinks Rajakovic may arrange that trail as smartly.

Prior to turning into the Raptors head trainer, Rajakovic used to be an assistant trainer for the Grizzlies for the final 3 seasons. Before that he used to be an assistant beneath Monty Williams in Phoenix and spent seven years as an assistant with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Rajakovic has additionally served at the training workforce for the Serbian nationwide workforce on the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China. 

The Serbian local first joined the NBA in 2012 when he changed into the head trainer of the Thunder’s G League associate workforce, the Tulsa 66ers. During his two seasons on the G League stage, Rajakovic coached the 66ers to a 51-49 document, and a shuttle to the G League semifinals in 2013. After the ones two seasons he used to be increased to an assistant with the Thunder beneath Scott Brooks, the place he used to be at the workforce of OKC groups that featured Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

With a head trainer now in tow, the Raptors will now want to flip their consideration towards their purpose for subsequent season. They have primary roster choices to make this offseason, together with what to do with VanVleet who has a participant choice this summer time. 

If Toronto comes to a decision to run it again with marginal enhancements to the roster, then Rajakovic will want to do what Nurse could not do final season: make the playoffs. If the workforce comes to a decision to blow it up and shift focal point to more youthful avid gamers and the property they’d get in go back from trades, then Rajakovic will have the ability to construct from the bottom up. Either manner, the Raptors are in for a pivotal offseason, and hiring a head trainer used to be simply step one.