Raptors New Head Coach Prediction: Ime Udoka Leads Odds

After an inconsistent 2022-23 season and a Play-In tournament loss to the Chicago Bulls, the Raptors organization has fired Nick Nurse.

Nurse came to the team in 2013 as an assistant coach before replacing Dwane Casey in 2018; leading the team to their first championship the same year. The team went 227-163 over five seasons with Nurse at the helm.

Raptors Official Statement on Nick Nurse Firing

Masai Ujiri released the following statement about Nurse’s firing:

“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. 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.”

Raptors New Head Coach Odds

Immediately after the firing, oddsmakers released a list of potential replacements for Nurse. Some reports suggest that former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka is a front runner, as is reflected in his -110 odds. Udoka got the Celtics to the Finals last season but was fired after an affair with someone on the Celtics staff was revealed.

Steve Nash, the Canadian former head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, is priced at -800 as of this writing. Nash played 18 seasons in the league, where he was an eight-time All-Star and two-time MVP during his tenure with the Phoenix Suns.

Another front runner at +300 is Adrian Griffin, currently an assistant coach for the Dinos.