Steve Nash reportedly meets with 1 NBA team about coaching vacancy

Mar 31, 2018; San Antonio, TX, USA; Former basketball player Steve Nash speaks during the NBA Hall of Fame press conference at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Less than one year after his Brooklyn Nets tenure ended, Steve Nash may have a route back into NBA coaching.

Nash has spoken to the Toronto Raptors about their head coaching vacancy, according to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Nash is part of what is characterized as a “wide-ranging” coaching search on the part of the Raptors.

The Toronto Raptors met with Steve Nash to discuss their head coaching job, sources tell me and @joevardon. Nash, a Canadian basketball legend, had a .584 record (94-67) in two-plus seasons coaching the Nets. Toronto has had a wide-ranging coaching search.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 22, 2023

Nash went 94-67 in two-plus seasons as Nets head coach, guiding the team to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in his first season. He was tasked with managing the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving duo, which later expanded to a trio with James Harden. Durant seemed to sour on him last offseason, which likely played a role in Brooklyn’s decision to fire him seven games into the 2022-23 season.

The Raptors are looking for a replacement for Nick Nurse, who parted ways with the organization after their season ended. They appear to be looking at some unorthodox candidates as they seek to fill the role.

Nash does make some sense from one standpoint: he grew up in Canada, played for the Canadian national team, and formerly served as their general manager.