The Raptors could potentially make a power move.
After firing head coach Nick Nurse last week, the Toronto Raptors are ready to begin the hiring process for a new boss. We now have a look into some of the candidates that they’re eyeing, according to a Thursday report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Assistant coach Adrian Griffin, whom the Raptors retained, will be interviewing for the post. Toronto has also received permission to speak to a load of assistant coaches around the NBA as well — Chris Quinn (Miami Heat), Kenny Atkinson (Golden State Warriors), Kevin Young (Phoenix Suns), Mitch Johnson (San Antonio Spurs), Darko Rajakovic (Memphis Grizzlies), Jordi Fernandez (Sacramento Kings) and Charles Lee (Milwaukee Bucks).
However, Toronto also has its eyes on a couple of high-profile candidates, including current Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon.
In 2022, Hammon led the Aces to their first WNBA championship in franchise history, and even more impressive, she did it in her first season as head coach. And on top of that, this came after eight seasons as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs under the legendary Gregg Popovich. (RELATED: Brawl Breaks Out In Real Madrid-Partizan Game, Former NBA Star Dante Exum Gets Body Slammed Like It’s WrestleMania)
The other high-profile name that the Raptors have on their target list is Jerry Stackhouse, Vanderbilt University head coach and former assistant with Toronto. Stackhouse also played 18 seasons in the NBA for several teams.
The Raptors have secured permission to speak to Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon.
The team’s head-coaching search is expected to be broad in scope and include a robust initial wave of candidates ➡️ https://t.co/ITvVAWUiqA pic.twitter.com/tvbKca7fSS
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2023
And just like that, I’m completely zoned in on Toronto’s head coaching situation — so, so interesting.