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The Toronto Raptors currently hold the seventh-worst record in the NBA at 28-47 and are on pace to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Technically though it's their third straight season of failing to qualify for the playoffs. During Nick Nurse's final year as Raptors head coach, the team made the play-in but failed to advance. Even so, the Raptors are apparently pleased with current head coach Darko Rajakovic.
Darko Rajakovic has endeared himself to the organization enough as coach that the Raptors opted to pick up his contract option for his fourth season, as per Michael Grange of Sportsnet. That would be the 2026-27 season, making this a full two seasons ahead that the team made this decision.
It hasn't been a secret that this season has been essentially a ‘tanking' season for the Raptors. Veteran players have actually spoken quite candidly about that. The Raptors will no doubt have a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. And they have a decent young nucleus in place including Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and Ja'Kobe Walter among others.
This is Rajakovic's second season as head coach of the Raptors. He was first hired ahead of the 2023-24 season after the team fired Nurse. Prior to that, he had around nine years of experience in the NBA as an assistant coach.
Rajakovic got his start in the league as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2014. He remained with the Thunder organization until 2019 when he joined the Phoenix Suns. That was followed by a stint with the Memphis Grizzlies from 2020-2023. He was also the head coach of the then Tulsa 66ers in the G League. The 66ers have since become the Oklahoma City Blue, the affiliate of the Thunder.
With the Raptors set to miss the playoffs this season, they are in line to add another piece to their young core.
