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Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors parted ways Friday in the wake of the team missing the NBA playoffs. The move wasn't entirely surprising given what seemed to be notable tension on both sides; however, the question now is where Nurse will land.
With plenty of achievements to his name, it's no secret that teams will be eager to negotiate with the former NBA Coach of the Year. Given that, let's take a look at the top three potential landing sports for Nick Nurse this offseason.
#3, Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets announced that Stephen Silas was out as head coach earlier this month. Nick Nurse's departure from Toronto will certainly bump him up the ladder of coaches the Houston franchise is targeting. Given that Nurse has previously coached for Houston's G League team, he seems like a natural fit.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Nurse will "immediately become a prominent candidate in the Houston Rockets' coaching search." Despite that, there have been reports that Nurse didn't want to go through a full rebuild in Toronto. Given that the Rockets have struggled this season, Nurse may not be interested.
Of course, should the Rockets land the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery, they could find themselves in a position to draft Victor Wembanyama. With an experienced coach like Nurse and a generational talent in Wembanyama, the Rockets could quickly find themselves in a great position.
#2, LA Lakers
Darvin Ham's first year coaching the LA Lakers has been a roller-coaster ride to say the least. After starting the season 2-10, Ham and the Lakers are now looking to defend home court against the Memphis Grizzlies.
As the LA Lakers' front office has shown in the past, they're not afraid to rock the boat. Depending on how things play out this postseason, the team could look to move mountains and replace Ham with Nick Nurse given his championship experience.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis both poised to return, the front office will likely want to try and build momentum before James' 2024/25 player option. Given the inconsistency of the team this season, the front office could turn to Nick Nurse.
#1, Dallas Mavericks
To put it lightly, things are not working in Dallas. Luka Doncic seems to be notably burnt out, and the team is watching the postseason from afar. On the heels of the team's three-year playoff streak coming to a close, many fear Doncic could be on the way out.
Add onto that the fact that there are no guarantees Kyrie Irving will re-sign with the team and Dallas' future looks quite uncertain. For the first time in the Luka Doncic era, his future with the team even seems to be in question.
Although coach Jason Kidd is still under contract, if it comes down to it, owner Mark Cuban seems ready to do whatever it takes to keep Doncic. That could include replacing Kidd with Nick Nurse, a coach who has championship experience who could be instrumental in Doncic and Irving's success.
