The Toronto Raptors agreed to part ways with coach Nick Nurse after a somewhat disappointing season.
Analysts expected them to retool their roster and trade away Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., and even OG Anunoby, but that wasn’t the case.
So, now that it’s become evident that they have no intention whatsoever to tank and rebuild, they’re looking at an interesting set of candidates to take the reins of their project.
Fifteen-year NBA veteran and ESPN analyst JJ Redick has interviewed for the Toronto Raptors’ coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Redick was part of a first-round of candidates to meet with franchise leadership.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 10, 2023
Notably, former NBA player JJ Redick emerged as one of the potential candidates, and he even interviewed with them about the position already, which obviously led to some mixed reviews on social media.
Will the interview be featured on a future episode of @OldManAndThree
— PJ (@pjraduta) May 10, 2023
That’s huge for JJ, hope he gets a shot
— HITMVN✖️ (@HITMVNx) May 10, 2023
LOOOOOL TORONTO RAPTORS GETTING RELEGATED
— KingCharge (@KingChargeYT) May 10, 2023
On one hand, Redick was a 15-year NBA veteran and has proven to be a knowledgeable and well-articulated person on his podcast and his appearances on ESPN.
On the other hand, he has no coaching experience whatsoever, so it would be a somewhat risky and odd choice.
Redick wouldn’t be the first former player who gets the chance to become a coach without any previous experience, and one could argue that it hasn’t always turned out poorly.
Also, it’s not like there are that many options available right now, with Mark Jackson, Mike Budenholzer, and Nate McMillan being some of the most experienced potential candidates out there.
The Raptors have an interesting set of young assets and a potential building block in Scottie Barnes, so they should be an appealing destination for every coach — Redick included — so it might take a while before they make a decision.
NEXT: A Surprising Name Has Surfaced As A Possibility In Raptors Coaching Search
