The Toronto Raptors are still in search for a new bench boss, and among the individuals who have gotten their attention is a former NBA player, Sarunas Jasikevicius. This is according to Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN, who also reports that Toronto’s general manager, Masai Ujiri, has already talked with Jasikevicius in an interview.
Toronto President Masai Ujiri interviewed Zalgris (Lithuania) coach Sarunas Jasikevicius for the Raptors head coaching job, league sources tell ESPN. Jasikevicius is a young EuroLeague coaching star and former NBA player.
Following another letdown performance in the playoffs, where the Raptors, despite being the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, were absolutely embarrassed in a second-round sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto fired head coach Dwane Casey, thus leaving a vacant position in the coaching staff that the team’s management is still trying to fill in.
Article Continues BelowSarunas Jasikevicius is not the only candidate the Raptors have for the head coaching gig with assistant coach Nick Nurse and San Antonio Spurs assistants Ettore Messina and Ime Udoka all included on Toronto’s short list.
Jasikevicius played in the NBA from 2005 to 2007, appearing in a total of 138 games (18 starts) for the Indiana Pacers and the Golden State Warriors. He became coach of Žalgiris in 2014 and steered the team to the EuroLeague Final Four this season.
Jasikevicius is perhaps best remembered by North American fans for his performance in the semifinals game of the 2000 Sydney Olympics against the United States, scoring 27 points and nearly making a game-winning 3-pointers in a close 85-83 loss.