The Toronto Raptors made an intriguing head coaching hire on Saturday, prying Darko Rajakovic away from the Memphis Grizzlies in a move that many believe signals an impending rebuild for the Raptors.

On the one hand, after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign that led to Raptors president Masai Ujiri publicly lamenting his team's performance, Toronto fired Nick Nurse. Nurse, who now is the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, coached the Raptors to an NBA championship in 2019.

To that point, with Toronto taking every player off the table in trade talks except for 2022 Scottie Barnes, the Raptors are clearly not averse to making a major change in their pursuit of winning another ring.

All of which leads back to Toronto opting to hire Rajakovic, a first time NBA head coach whose reputation as a player development coach precede him.

Yet, despite Rajakovic specializing in a department that's crucial for a rebuilding team, NBA insider Marc Stein reports that “the early signals” suggest that the Raptors “are not interested in a total rebuild and view their offseason plans as a retool.”

While Stein adds that impending free agents Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. are likely to move on from Toronto in the offseason, the Raptors may opt to hold onto more than Barnes then. Namely All-Star forward Pascal Siakam and All-Defensive wing OG Anunoby, who would give Toronto a solid foundation to build on.

Add to that equation the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and filling the pieces in around their core should be simpler than tearing it all down.