Dwane Casey’s latest brush with the broom might prove to be his undoing.
The Toronto Raptors are “strongly leaning towards” replacing their longtime head coach, TSN’s Josh Lewenberg reported Tuesday, citing sources.
The rumor follows the Raptors’ Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, their third playoff exit via sweep in the last four seasons. Raptors officials might believe this offseason is the right time to part ways with Casey after seven seasons as coach.
The National Basketball Coaches Association voted Casey its Coach of the Year for 2017-18, The New York Times’ Marc Stein reported Wednesday, citing two people with knowledge of the voting.
Casey oversaw the Raptors’ franchise-record 59-win campaign, in which they secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. He’s undeniably the most successful coach in team history, having led Toronto to four Atlantic Division titles in the last five seasons.
Nevertheless, that regular-season success might not stop Raptors president Masai Ujiri from pushing Casey out the door in an effort to jolt the franchise into greater postseason prominence.
