Nick Nurse getting defensive amid Raptors departure rumors makes things worse

The Toronto Raptors have been hit with a serious shock to the system in the last few weeks, spurred on mostly by head coach Nick Nurse. Multiple rumors hinting at a Nurse departure have sprung up in recent weeks, and he hasn’t exactly done much to shoot them down.

Not only has Nurse been linked to the Houston Rockets with a great degree of fervor, but Toronto may already be looking at former Celtics coach Ime Udoka as a replacement. While there are several great non-Udoka names out there, the fact a replacement has been leaked by a team that almost never leaks is shocking.

While Masai Ujiri appears ready to go all-in on the style of basketball Nurse likes to play and looks willing to once again roll the dice on continuity and familiarity, Nurse could throw a lit cigarette on a gasoline fire by leaving and forcing a regime change. Rather than discuss his future, Nurse is lashing out at reporters.

Nurse seemed to be very testy and grouchy when asked about all of the Rockets rumors, claiming that he is frustrated with how frequently he has been asked about them despite some reporters at the scene confirming that his suspicions are overblown.

Nurse could have shut those rumors down multiple times and focused on making the play-in tournament, and he chose instead to pontificate on what his place in the basketball world is before a loss against the 76ers. Nurse is sleeping in the bed he made, even if he doesn’t like it.

Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse is testy over Rockets rumors.

Nurse has won 58% of his games in charge of the Raptors, and he has both a championship and Coach of the Year award on his mantlepiece. If Toronto managed to escape the play-in tournament, the Tampa bubble would be the only time in five years that Toronto didn’t make the postseason.

Nurse would be leaving a team that is posted to compete for a playoff spot regularly in the East to arguably the worst team in the league in Houston. While he could bring players like Fred VanVleet with him, Nurse would need to wash away the old culture completely. That is a huge, stressful undertaking.

The rumors may be nothing more than rumors at this point, but the fact that so many have come out in such a short time and Nurse hasn’t done a terrific job of quieting all the noise around them makes it seem like he’s willing to let those reports dangle out there.