The Toronto Raptors have signed head coach Nick Nurse to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.
Nurse, who was named coach of the year for the 2019-20 season, led the Raptors to the NBA title in 2019 and a franchise-best .736 winning percentage this season. The Raptors finished the season with a 53-19 record, second-best in the NBA, and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fifth-consecutive season.
“Our confidence in Nick just continues to grow, and part of that comes from what we’ve experienced together. The past two seasons have been unlike any other in our team’s history — first, winning our championship, and then navigating a global pandemic and committing long-term to the fight against racism and for social justice,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said in a statement. “Nick has proved that he can coach on the court and lead in life, and we’re looking forward to accomplishing great things in the future.”
Nurse replaced Dwane Casey in June 2018 after serving as an assistant coach with the club for five years. In his two seasons leading the Raptors, Nurse has a 111-43 record in the regular season and 23-12 record in the playoffs. His 23 playoff wins are the most by any Raptors head coach. Nurse has been named Eastern Conference coach of the month three times and coached Team Giannis at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game.
“My family and I will always be appreciative of Larry Tanenbaum and MLSE ownership for this opportunity. I’m grateful to Masai, Bobby (Webster), and the players for their trust and their hard work,” Nurse said in a statement. “Toronto has been my home for the past seven years, and I look forward to it being home for many more. I’ve watched this franchise grow and reach the pinnacle, and I look forward to the challenge of helping us win another championship.”
While terms of the extension were not disclosed by the club, Nurse had one year remaining on his contract with the Raptors. Signing the coach to an extension is just the first bit of business Ujiri and team management will have to deal with in what should be a busy off-season. This includes making decisions on free agents Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, potentially negotiating a new long-term contract with OG Anunoby and preparing for a season that doesn’t have a start date yet.
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