At 38-39, the Raptors are currently hanging on to a spot in the play-in tournament with five games left in the season. Toronto is tied with the Hawks for the No. 8 seed in the East and just a game back of the Heat for the No. 7 seed.
However, while the Raptors season will likely extend by at least one game following the regular season, Nick Nurse is already thinking towards the future. Toronto’s coach told the media he will need to mull what he wants to do next year once the season ends.
“First of all, I think when this season gets done, we’ll evaluate everything, and even personally, I’m going to take a few weeks to see where I’m at, you know?” Nurse said, via ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “Like you said, where my head’s at. And just see how the relationship with the organization is and everything.”
Nurse has been a part of the Raptors organization for the last decade, first as an assistant then as head coach. He led Toronto to its first ever NBA championship in 2019 and has been arguably the best coach in team history as a result.
However, the last few years have been a grind. The Raptors missed the playoffs in 2021 and lost in the first round to the Sixers last season. Still, Nurse said he hasn’t thought about moving on from Toronto, just that it’s a good time for him to think about his future.
“I’m concentrated on this job, for sure, and this game, essentially,” he said. “But I think 10 years is a good time to sit back and reflect a little bit. So I think we’re going to do that all when the season ends.”
Nurse’s contract reportedly expires after next season, so one way or another he and the team need to decide on what to do beyond 2024.
