The noise surrounding MLSE's search for a new Raptors president might be a bit muffled as it currently stands, but the general consensus around town is that GM Bobby Webster has a firm grasp on the position. Be that as it may, the hunt is still on for a couple of other strong candidates, even if all signs point toward choosing Webster as the optimal choice.
And, as I mentioned in my last piece, Sportsnet Raptors insider Michael Grange authored an in-depth article titled "Raptors Notebook: What's next for Masai Ujiri and Toronto's front office search?" which mentioned a very familiar name to Raptors fans as being in the job hunt conversations.
Here is the excerpt I am referring to from the Grange notebook:
Raptors' brass reportedly met with ex-head coach Dwane Casey
"Former Raptors head coach and current Detroit Pistons executive Dwane Casey has thrown his hat in the ring and has met with MLSE president Keith Pelley, per sources."Michael Grange, July 26, 2025
In case you need a reminder, Casey served as the Raptors' head coach for seven seasons, from 2011 to 2018. In the early part of that stretch, the up-and-coming Raptors squad was gradually picking up steam in their conference's pecking order, but it wasn't until the mid-2010s that Toronto quickly became an East powerhouse. Despite Casey's strong coaching and a talented duo in DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, the Raptors often found themselves on the short end of the stick come playoff time (especially if LeBron James was standing opposite them).
And so, it would come as a surprise when, following another conference semi-finals letdown in the 2017-18 season, Toronto fired reigning Coach of the Year Dwane Casey to spearhead a new era in Raptors basketball. The dominoes continued to topple as Toronto traded DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard, and of course, as the saying goes: "the rest is history."
I'd say Casey is a bit of an anomaly within Raptors circles, much like DeRozan, because it's hard to discount his impacts. Yet, he's also notorious for crumbling in the biggest moments. Even though he couldn't bring Toronto to the promised land, Casey remains a very integral part of Raptors history, and you could argue that the 2019 championship wouldn't have been possible without the contributions of their former head coach.
Would the majority of Raptors fans welcome Dwane Casey back with open arms? I'd probably say so, but then again, perhaps it's hard to look past his shortcomings if he were to take on an even more influential role within the Raptors' structure. However, much like Grange noted about the Raptors' interest in Pacers exec Kevin Pritchard, going after someone under contract with a rival organization might be too tall of a task.
Regardless, it's interesting to see the Raptors organization revisiting a shadow of their past in this very critical presidential search.