Darko Rajakovic to take over as Raptors head coach / News - Basketnews.com

One of the European coaches that the Raptors had on their list was eventually chosen as the team's next head coach, with Serbian Darko Rajakovic taking the reins.

Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images Credit Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Darko Rajakovic is leaving the Memphis Grizzlies coaching staff to become the Toronto Raptors head coach, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

2-pointers this season

52%31,1Points made:31,1Accuracy:52,5%Place in standings:7Record max:48Record min:20Most made 2FGs:Pascal SiakamTeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

Some days ago, former ESPN and New York Times journalist Mark Stein pointed out that Serbian expert Darko Rajakovic, Spain NT and Virtus Segafredo Bologna coach Sergio Scariolo, as well as Sacramento Kings associate head coach, Jordi Fernandez, are still in the race for the head coach position.

Rajakovic has been working as an assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies for three years. He worked for two years as a coach in the development league, but also as a scouting consultant in the Summer League, with the San Antonio Spurs. Rajakovic has been in the NBA since 2014, where he was an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies.

The 44-year-old Serbian native is set to replace Nick Nurse, who was let go in April and subsequently became the Philadelphia 76ers head coach. He is only the second European in history to coach a team in the NBA after Igor Kokoskov, who guided the Phoenix Suns in 2018-19.

Golden State's Kenny Atkinson and Milwaukee's Charles Lee were other coaches given serious consideration in the process, per the same report.

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