Darko Rajakovic will take over as the Toronto Raptors head coach for the 2023–24 season, the franchise already announced, know about his salary and contract
Rajakovic will be guiding a youthful team for the Raptors and carrying on Nurse’s legacy since Nurse was sacked by the organisation after the club’s Play-In Tournament defeat.
Darko Rajakovic Toronto Raptors head coach contract details, salary, teams coached and NBA coaching record
Rajakovic’s potential deal with the Raptors
The specifics of Rajakovic’s deal have not been made public by the team. However, others have conjectured that it might last for four years and the team might grant him an extension. Nothing is known about his salary at the moment.
Rajakovic has worked as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, and Memphis Grizzlies for the last nine years. He was one of the top players to watch as a future coach candidate last year. He received a head coaching offer to assist the struggling Raptors a year later.
Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN analysed what distinguishes Rajakovic from the other coaches. According to him, Darko Rajakovic is highly praised by those in the coaching community as well as players who have benefited from his understanding of the game. When you consider that he was twice snatched in the last two years by new head coaches building a staff from the start at Phoenix and Memphis, that makes a lot of sense. Some of the NBA’s top players have been taught by Darko Rajakovic.
Coach Darko Rajakovic. Welcome to the six! #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/sCUVyVPbEX
— Anthony Khatchadourian ✪ (@Raptorswave) June 11, 2023
How much prior experience does Rajakovic have?
Many people are curious about Darko Rajakovic’s credentials after his hire. Given that most supporters don’t pay much attention to foreign coaches, it is hardly surprising. After all, he isn’t exactly well-known and few fans are familiar with his strategy. But the people are aware of his abilities as a coach.
Rajakovic was given the opportunity to work as Scott Brooks’ assistant when he first entered the league. He was working with Russell Westbrook, who had exceptional athleticism, and Kevin Durant, the league’s MVP at the time. He was able to mentor Westbrook after he won the MVP award in 2017 because he remained with the Thunder until 2019.
The Phoenix Suns were his next location, but he stayed with them for just one season. Even yet, Devin Booker, who was on the rise and was only beginning to gain a feel for the NBA, was coached by Darko Rajakovic.
The Serbian coach joined the Memphis Grizzlies coaching team in 2020 and worked as Taylor Jenkins’ associate head coach. Since joining the team, Rajakovic has had the opportunity to mentor Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Both have had fantastic seasons this year in terms of statistics.