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Toronto Raptors Fire Head Coach Nick Nurse. Who Could Replace Him?

Nick Nurse has been fired as head coach of the Toronto Raptors, per Adrian Wojnarowski. Nurse had one year remaining on his contract worth $8 million.

Nurse spent five seasons as Toronto’s head coach, compiling a 227-163 record. He memorably led the Raptors to a title in his first campaign after replacing Dwane Casey, and won Coach of the Year the following season as Toronto overachieved despite losing Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green in free agency.

Nurse immediately becomes the biggest-name coaching free agent available. Where do the Raptors go from here?

Toronto Raptors Fire Head Coach Nick Nurse. Who Could Replace Him?

Nick Nurse’s History with the Toronto Raptors

Nurse’s resume includes two D-League championships (before Gatorade’s sponsorship forced the “G-League” rebrand) with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He spent five years as an assistant in Toronto under Dwane Casey. Nurse took over after Casey’s firing and won Toronto a championship in 2019 after Masai Ujiri traded for Leonard.

Nick Nurse won Coach of the Year honors the following season, and oversaw an organization-approved tanking effort in 2020-2021. The losing turned into Scottie Barnes’ selection in the 2021 draft. Since then, however, Toronto has had two discouraging postseason exits. They bowed out meekly to a hobbled Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers last year, and this year lost their play-in game at home against the Diar and DeMar DeRozan-led Chicago Bulls.

Perhaps this outcome shouldn’t be a surprise after Nurse himself said he needed time to “see where I’m at” after the season. Management gave the roster a vote of confidence at the trade deadline by keeping all of Toronto’s rotation players and bringing back former Raptor Jakob Poeltl. Toronto’s ninth-seed finish and play-in dismissal couldn’t have been what Ujiri and Co. had in mind for this season. 

Nurse’s final thoughts on the Raptors’ roster were “good luck with those guys.” It appears this breakup was necessary.

Toronto Raptors’ Internal Coaching Candidates

Nurse will have no shortage of opportunities if he wants to coach again next season. Wojnarowski has made it clear that the Houston Rockets have been interested in Nurse since at least April 9th.

Nick Nurse will be in demand, but who will Ujiri tap to replace him? Nurse is Ujiri’s only coaching hire in Toronto, as Casey predated him as head coach. If Ujiri again decides to elevate one of Toronto’s assistant coaches, Adrian Griffin and Earl Watson could be the top candidates. 

Griffin has recently been a candidate for head coaching jobs with the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, and Washington Wizards, among other teams. Griffin was Nurse’s replacement this season when he missed time due to personal reasons; perhaps Ujiri could tap him as a permanent replacement. Watson spent essentially 1.5 seasons as the Phoenix Suns’ head coach. He held the top job for the full 2016-17 season after coaching 33 games the previous season as an interim. The Suns fired Watson after just three games during the 2017-18 season. Watson’s record was 33-85 while coaching undertalented Suns squads, but is often credited with helping develop Devin Booker. If Ujiri chooses to rebuild around Barnes, Watson could be the answer.

Toronto Raptors’ External Coaching Candidates

Wojnarowski has already mentioned that Ime Udoka, the embattled former coach of the Boston Celtics, is a candidate to replace Nurse in Toronto. Udoka was fired by the Celtics after having an affair with a subordinate that was uncovered before the start of the season. Experts agree that the power dynamics mean consent cannot be given in a relationship like Udoka’s, making Toronto’s interest in hiring him both disturbing and disappointing. 

Other candidates could include Frank Vogel, whose defensive background could help after Toronto finished a disappointing 14th in defense this season. That needs to be higher given the Raptors’ collective size, athleticism, and shooting deficiencies. Mike D’Antoni, currently a consultant with the New Orleans Pelicans, could be an intriguing hire as well. D’Antoni is 71 and may not want the grind of being an NBA head coach. His offensive mind is unassailable, however, and the right assistant (like Jeff Bzdelik, who coached with D’Antoni in Houston) can help bring Toronto’s defense along.

This could also be the first step toward major upheaval in Toronto. Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. both have player options and can become free agents this offseason. If one or both aren’t retained, Ujiri could be swayed to trade Pascal Siakim and OG Anunoby and start a rebuild centered around Barnes, young players, and picks. Nurse’s firing has set the Raptors’ intriguing offseason in motion.

Michael Love, Associate Editor

Michael Love, Associate Editor

Michael Love is a basketball and volleyball coach who's written for Last Word on Sports since April 2022. He's a lifelong Warriors fan (seriously; as a kid, the highlight of his fandom was Jason Richardson's back-to-back Slam Dunk contest wins) who lets his passion for the game influence how he covers every team. A NorCal native, he has a soft spot for Sacramento Kings basketball as well.

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