The Toronto Raptors may be forced to do the nearly unthinkable and look for a new head coach just a few years after winning a championship. With Nick Nurse not so subtly teasing the possibility of going to another team (namely the Houston Rockets), the idea of hiring former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka has been talked up quite frequently.
Udoka, who was fired after leading the Celtics to the NBA Finals due to an improper workplace relationship, has been linked to the Raptors as soon as the Nurse departure rumors started to come out of the woodwork. Udoka has been listed as the favorite to supplant Nurse should he leave Toronto.
As is the case with top external candidates, Toronto will not be bidding against itself. Suppose Udoka ends up on the open market. In that case, the Raptors will need to fight against two bottom feeders that could give Udoka the opportunity to be the transformative force that gets their situation turned around.
Not only are the Rockets also sniffing around Udoka, but the Detroit Pistons may also try to seduce him when they kickstart their coaching search. While Houston has already started a far-reaching coaching search, it appears as though both they and Toronto will fight tooth and nail over Nurse.
Pistons candidates will include Bucks assistant Charles Lee, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin, Ime Udoka, Heat assistant Chris Quinn, among others, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 9, 2023
NBA rumors: Raptors, Pistons, Rockets interested in Ime Udoka
While the Raptors are far from a ready-made championship contender right now, Houston and Detroit might be the two worst teams in the league. It would be odd for Udoka to join one of them over Toronto unless they land a transformational prospect in Victor Wembanyama.
While Joe Mazzulla has the Celtics playing well without Udoka, all three of these teams seem to believe that getting a team to the NBA Finals doesn’t happen by accident. Coaches who have done that aren’t floating around in the ether. That doesn’t mean this hire would be without flaws.
When the Brooklyn Nets decided that hiring Udoka after firing Steve Nash was too noisy of a move, that should tell you something. Whoever hires him, no matter if they are a postseason presence like Toronto or a rebuilder like Detroit, will need a massive, coordinated PR push.
ESPN Sources: Among the prominent candidates in the Rockets' search will be former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson and former Lakers coach Frank Vogel. If Raptors coach Nick Nurse becomes available, he'll be a serious consideration too.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 9, 2023
Toronto can’t put all its eggs in the Udoka basket. Interviewing top internal candidates like Adrian Griffin and other assistants like Earl Watson is a necessity, as Udoka is going to have desperate teams eyeing a culture change competing with Toronto for his apparently desirable signature.