Nick Nurse fired as Raptors coach; Ime Udoka to be candidate, sources say

The Toronto Raptors fired coach Nick Nurse on Friday, clearing the way for Ime Udoka to become a serious candidate to replace him, sources told ESPN.

Nurse, who coached the Raptors to the franchise's first NBA title in 2019, met with team president Masai Ujiri several times in recent days before a decision was made Friday to dismiss him, sources said.

«The decision to make a change like this is never arrived at easily or taken lightly, especially when it comes to a person who has been an integral part of this franchise's most historic accomplishments, and who has been a steady leader through some of our team's most challenging times,» Ujiri said in a statement. «As we reflect on Nick's many successes, we thank him and his family, and wish them the best in future.

»This is an opportunity for us to reset, to refocus, to put into place the personnel and the players who will help us reach our goal of winning our next championship."

Nick Nurse started his Raptors coaching tenure with a bang and a title but couldn't follow up that success his final three seasons at the helm in Toronto. After 23 playoff wins and a championship in his first two seasons, the Raptors have failed to make the postseason twice since 2020-21 and have just two playoff wins.

Nick Nurse's Raptors Tenure

Sources said Nurse had one year and more than $8 million left on his contract.

Udoka has a long relationship with Ujiri and is expected to be a prominent part of the Raptors' coaching search, sources said. Udoka was suspended by the Boston Celtics before the start of the 2022-23 season for multiple violations of team rules. He was replaced by Joe Mazzulla, who was given the permanent coaching position in February.

The Raptors have several important