Top Raptors head coach candidate might take a season off

One of the few coaching candidates that just about all corners of the Toronto Raptors’ fanbase have been very excited about is former Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams. All Williams has done in the last three seasons in Phoenix is get them into the second round of the postseason while making a Finals run in 2020-21

Williams, who was let go by Phoenix after losing to the mighty Nuggets in the playoffs, has been targeted by the Raptors as well as fellow Eastern Conference movers and shakers like the Bucks. Williams will have multiple teams calling him, but he also has enough equity built up to take a sabbatical.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Williams is expected by many to take a season off from coaching. With three years of paydays and $21 million left coming his way, thanks to the remainder of his Suns contract, this decision makes a ton of sense for him.

The Raptors, meanwhile, could bear the biggest brunt of this decision. The Raptors will not only be unable to hire one of the best possible candidates on the market (and one of the few with past experience as a head coach), forcing them into a potentially unorthodox second choice.

Toronto Raptors might miss out on Monty Williams.

The main reason that Williams has become such a desirable name is that he has been one of the proven names listed alongside wild cards like JJ Redick and Steve Nash. When compared to those two, Williams’ coaching experience makes him look like Phil Jackson.

Masai Ujiri talked about culture plenty after making the decision to fire Nurse, and there are very few culture setters in the league with the pedigree that Williams had. Phoenix was a tire fire before he arrived, and he helped turn them into an NBA Finals team within a few seasons.

While Williams has certainly disappointed in the postseason, especially in elimination games, the fact that Williams was canned after just a few games with Kevin Durant smacks of new ownership trying to hire their guy. Williams will make some teams happy, whenever he decides to get back.

Going from Williams to Nash will be a move that makes this fanbase quite irritated. Unless Toronto blows Williams away with a very enticing offer, he has the leverage he needs to turn them down and wait a bit until a more favorable offer from a better team comes around.