The Golden State Warriors are still reeling from the loss of longtime general manager Bob Myers. Now their coaching staff takes a blow with the departure of assistant Jama Mahlalela.
Mahlalela joined the Warriors in 2021 and made an impact on head coach Steve Kerr's staff that earned a fourth championship in eight seasons. He'll be joining the Toronto Raptors as newly installed head coach Darko Rajakovic assembles his coaching staff to succeed Nick Nurse, via ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowksi:
The Toronto Raptors are hiring Wizards assistant Pat Delany and Warriors assistant Jama Mahlalela as top assistant coaches on Darko Rajakovic’s new staff, sources tell ESPN.
Jama Mahlalela returns to Canada, where he spent most of his adult life. He graduated from the University of British Colombia and also spent several seasons as the head coach of the Raptors' G League affiliate, the 905. The 43-year-old coach will likely receive a much more prominent role on Toronto's staff as he leaves a veteran-laden coaching lineup in Golden State.
The Raptors made history by hiring the Serbian-born Darko Rajakovic. He becomes just the second European-born head coach in NBA history, a distinction he now shares with former Phoenix Suns head coach and current Atlanta Hawks assistant Igor Kokoskov.
The Warriors have a busy offseason ahead of them as they deal with the departure of Bob Myers and the dominos that fall with it. They've promoted executive Mike Dunleavy Jr., who also played five seasons to start his career in Golden State, to take over as GM. With Mahlalela gone, expect another veteran coaching add between now and training camp.
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