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A day after being named the Coach of the Year by the National Basketball Coaches Association, Dwane Casey was fired by the Toronto Raptors after securing a franchise record 59 wins, but getting swept in the second round.
“After careful consideration, I have decided this is a very difficult but necessary step the franchise must take. As a team, we are constantly trying to grow and improve in order to get to the next level,” Ujiri said via the Raptors team website. “We celebrate everything Dwane has done for the organization, we thank him, and we wish him nothing but the best in future. He was instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team, and we are so proud of that.”
Casey lasted seven years with the Raptors, but his inability to get past LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers for three consecutive years is what ultimately did him in (although no Eastern Conference coach has led his team past LeBron James since 2010). He led the Raptors past the 50 win mark three times, the only three times it's been done in franchise history.
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According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, Casey might not be out of work for all that long. He is expected to be a candidate for two of the four jobs that are currently open across the league.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri has strong interest in former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, according to coaching sources. Dwane Casey, meanwhile, is likely to emerge as a contender for one or two of the league's other four vacancies.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 11, 2018
Casey hasn't released a statement or talked about what he plans on doing, but if he decides he does want to coach next year, he will probably have at least a few interviews in the next couple of weeks.
Maybe a change of senary for Casey and the Raptors is just exactly what both teams need.
