In light of recent news, it seems as though JJ Redick could be heading to Toronto, but just not as a player. After firing head coach Nick Nurse in April, the Toronto Raptors have begun their search for new candidates, with JJ Redick being included in the initial group to meet with franchise executives. With no prior coaching experience (except for maybe his kids), hiring Redick would be an incredibly bold move for the Raptors heading into next season.
Having played for Coach K at Duke and multiple outstanding NBA coaches throughout his professional career, I wouldn’t be surprised if JJ Redick ends up becoming a great NBA head coach someday, but I’m not sure that he makes sense for the Raptors. Toronto seems as though they are too talented to completely tank, but at the same time haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since their title run in the 2018-2019 NBA season. While I’m fairly confident Redick would do a better job with the Raptors than Steve Nash did in Brooklyn, I still don’t believe that hiring a “rookie” head coach will move Toronto out of mediocrity.
After former Celtics head coach Ime Udoka was hired by the Houston Rockets last month, the Raptors haven’t appeared to favor one potential candidate over the rest. Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon has had her name floated around for the Toronto position, which, if hired, would make her the first female head coach in the history of the NBA. I’m sure that Masai Ujiri and the Raptors’ front office will make the best decision for their franchise moving forward, but don’t be shocked when the announcement of their new head coach is more surprising than any of us previously expected.
