Nick Nurse could leave Raptors for Western Conference team?

Mar 8, 2020; Sacramento, California, USA; Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse gives instructions during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

One of only eight active NBA head coaches to have won a championship, Nick Nurse may potentially have a new job next season.

Doug Smith of The Toronto Star reported on Thursday that there is some “real” chatter about Nurse’s future as head coach of the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors are currently having a disappointing season, and Nurse only has one year left on his contract with the team.

Smith further adds that there are rumors of Nurse potentially being an option for the Houston Rockets, noting that Nurse was previously the head coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (the Rockets’ G League affiliate).

Nurse, 55, is maybe the most successful head coach in Raptors history. Since taking the job in 2018, Nurse has led Toronto to a record of 224-160 (.583) with multiple division titles and the franchise’s first-ever NBA title in 2019. But the team has been struggling to find their footing this season with a record of 38-38 (ninth in the East). There have also been signs of a disconnect between Nurse and the front office.

The Rockets, meanwhile, are in the sunken place. They are a conference-worst 18-59 this season and failed to win more than 20 games in either of the two seasons prior to that as well. On top of that, current coach Stephen Silas was recently the subject of a troubling report about his leadership.

Nurse is known as one of the game’s best tacticians and (with the exception of this season) usually overperforms relative to the talent level on his roster. Should he part ways with Toronto this offseason, Nurse will surely become a highly sought-after candidate by multiple NBA teams.