The 2019 championship coach of the Toronto Raptors said a few words to President Masai Ujiri as his departure was overdue. As might be expected, the best candidate to take over any franchise is in the midst of hosting a high bid auction. There is a wide range of interest.
NBA: What does Nick Nurse look like with these teams?
Going to nurse his former divisional rival, the Philadelphia 76ers, would be a lot of fun. He faced them twice in the playoffs, last season and on his way to their title in ’19, in the greatest shot in NBA history to beat the buzzer in Game 7. You may remember. He has certainly had conversations with Joel Embiid in the past about the correct time the whistle should blow and the physicality of the game in relation to fouls.
Nurse usually brought a defensive philosophy during his four years in the association, with Toronto usually claiming dominance in the top ten or five. Of course, it is likely to make the decision-making process easier, with a large part of it dependent on the new format of these lists. Primarily, Philadelphia.
James Harden turned down his player option and became an unrestricted free agent, with rumors of him returning to Houston circulating for some time. Apparently, experts may not always be experts, Harden said on his Instagram story, but we’ll see what happens. If James gets out, Nurse could have a chance to coach another star that Philadelphia can go after. After already having a relationship or many conversations with a profile of Embiid, Tyrese Maxey will only get better with Nurse embedding a more consistent defensive identity for Maxey and the team.
Nurse also took down Milwaukee on their way to their title. For one of the best systems in the game that has been prominently at the top of the league for a while, there’s also the opportunity to take a fresh look at the tandem All-Star system as well. It all depends on the free agent options of Khris Middleton and Brooke Lopez.
The nurse has also shown the ability to get the most out of each member of his squad. He, Pascal Siakam, and Fred Van Fleet are all in the same vein of developing within the system and working their way to eye-opening stardom. The 55-year-old could do so inside the Bucks system, where he might be more motivated and desperate by someone to hold them accountable that they were in that window. Whether it’s inline chops ready to break out and advance their game, or new superstars.
NBA: Do Suns have an advantage in landing Nick Nurse?
The new Suns owner, Matt Ishbia, has officially and loudly announced his plans for the Suns. The scene changed. It was shocking that they let go of Monty Williams, as he and Nurse had among the best coaching winning percentages in the league over their last few campaigns.
Phoenix probably has a duo who could be the absolute best at tying shoes to their hands. So far this summer, the Suns haven’t been breaking out the champagne when it comes to the idea of keeping Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul, both of whom are heavily rumored to be on the hot seat in the deals.
If a nurse wants to quickly decide his future, in about a month, free agents this July may be more interested in Arizona with the nurse leading the way. The Suns also had a giant defensive downfall, saying goodbyes to Michal Bridges and Cam Johnson in the Kevin Durant trade, paving the way for the Nurse to achieve that defensive advantage.
Whether applied to the new faces with Durant and Devin Booker (who, yeah, would probably both love to have a nurse), maybe CP3 or Aiton, or even Terry Rozier, a face Ishpea has shown interest in for Phoenix, in fact, do you know who others? Van Fleet. Can the Pathfinder and his initiator reunite in the desert in order to seek another tournament together?