Raptors news: Adrian Griffin linked to Pistons job, Pascal Siakam talks Joel Embiid

The Toronto Raptors may not have seemed like a team that was a few bad months away from a coaching change earlier in the season, but Nick Nurse might be leaving Adrian Griffin and the rest of his assistants out to dry based on the rumors surrounding him and the Houston Rockets. Even Griffin staying is no sure thing.

The Detroit Pistons appear to be closing in on getting rid of former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, giving potential candidates the opportunity to coach Cade Cunningham and the team with the best potential odds of landing Victor Wembanyama.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said that Griffin is “a name to keep an eye on” with regard to the Pistons job. Bucks assistant Charles Lee (a potential Nurse replacement) has been viewed as the frontrunner, but Griffin does have a connection to GM Troy Weaver dating back to his time as an assistant coach in Oklahoma City.

Griffin, who has been Nurse’s top deputy for years and often served as the head coach in games where Nurse isn’t available, was in consideration for the Jazz vacancy last offseason and was targeted by the Lakers for a brief period. He is a rising star in the coaching ranks, but Toronto may not have him for much longer.

More Raptors news

• The Raptors scored just 40 points in the first half against the Boston Celtics, setting the stage for a painful loss that helped them clinch the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference. What a horrid way to close out Toronto’s road schedule.
• On Draymond Green’s podcast, Pascal Siakam downplayed his on-court friction with Joel Embiid as the product of two Cameroonian players going back and forth in good faith. Siakam, who is from Douala, said that it is “all love” between him and Embiid, who is from Yaounde.
• Pascal said that their chirping often stems from the mutual rivalry that citizens of those two cities have with one another.

NBA news

• Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player award, will join the Finnish military to fulfill his mandatory military service during the offseason. Finland requires all male citizens to serve either 165, 255, or 347 days in the military prior to age 30.
• UConn star wing shooter Jordan Hawkins, who led the Huskies to the 2023 NCAA national championship, has officially declared for the 2023 NBA Draft. Given his shooting skill and defense, teams like the Raptors may take an interest in drafting him on the fringes of the lottery.