Darko Rajakovic is excited to become Raptors coach

Darko Rajakovic previously worked as an assistant coach in Oklahoma City, Phoenix and Memphis.

TORONTO (AP) Darko Rajakovic has been in good spirits since the Toronto Raptors made him the 10th head coach in franchise history.

For the last three days, I’ve been smiling so much that my jaw is starting to hurt, Rajakovic joked at an outdoor press conference on Tuesday.

Rajakovic, 44, replaces Nick Nurse, who was fired April 21 following Toronto’s 41-41 win and loss in the opening round of the Play-In tournament.

“We were really, really excited about today,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said as he sat alongside Rajakovic on a stage set up outside the teams’ downtown arena. I know its change and sometimes change is hard, but we believe that change is good, and change is good for our ball club and our organization now.

General manager Bobby Webster said Rajakovic didn’t go in as the favorite when Toronto began his search, but won over the Raptors as the process unfolded.

“He’s really smart, detailed, structured,” Webster said. He has really versatile experience internationally, but also in the NBA. He has worked for several organizations and directly with many such as high level players and it would just fit everything. He just exceeded our expectations and really impressed us.

Rajakovic said he felt an immediate connection with the staff in the Toronto office.

When we started talking on the Zoom call for the first time, I felt a sense of unity from day one, Rajakovic said. Everyone in the organization could just feel that everyone is in this together.

Born and raised in Serbia, Rajakovic has been a coach since he was a teenager. He coached in Spain before coming to the United States.

Rajakovic spent two seasons as a head coach in the G League (then known as the NBA Development League) before joining the Oklahoma City Thunder as an assistant prior to the 2014-15 season. He spent the 2019-20 season as an assistant in Phoenix before joining Memphis the following year.

At his initial press conference, Rajakovic asked a question in Serbian from a Serbian-language television company in Toronto. The city has a significant number of Serbian immigrants.

Rajakovic said that means World is the second Serbian-born coach in the NBA after Igor Kokosov, who led the Suns in 2018-19.

It means so much to the Serbian community here in Toronto, Rajakovic said. Many people contacted me. It means a lot to my family back home and the whole basketball community in Serbia.

Toronto’s new hire was introduced on the four-year anniversary of the teams first and only NBA championship. The Raptors beat Golden State in six Finals games in 2019, Nurses first season as coach.

Let’s go and do it again, Ujiri shouted to the small following of fans after the event. We saw this happen last night (with Denver winning the NBA Championship). We’ve done it here before and we’re going to do it again.

Raptors players Precious Achiuwa, Dalano Banton, Christian Koloko, Jeff Dowtin Jr., Ron Harper Jr. and Joe Wieskamp were on hand to introduce Rajakovics.

Webster confirmed Tuesday that guard Fred VanVleet has opted out of the final year of his contract and will become a free agent.

Apparently on good terms with Fred, talked to him yesterday, Webster said. I think (the decision) was expected, not really unexpected.

Guard Gary Trent Jr. will have to make a similar decision on whether to opt out of the final year of his contract before the end of next week, Webster said.