The Raptors have agreed to a new three-year extension with head coach Dwane Casey, the team officially announced today in a press release. The agreement was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowksi of The Vertical, who noted that the Raptors and Casey “essentially tore up” the remaining year on his previous contract, so the new three-year deal only runs through 2019, rather than 2020.
While at least one report indicated that Casey’s job would have been in jeopardy if the Raptors hadn’t defeated the Pacers in the first round of this year’s playoffs, Toronto ultimately squeezed past Indiana in seven games and did the same against Miami in the second round. The Raptors then became the only team so far to win a game against the Cavs in this year’s postseason, ultimately falling to Cleveland in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
On the heels of that playoff run – the most successful in Raptors history – reports surfaced indicating that the team would offer Casey an extension, which GM Masai Ujiri later confirmed. ESPN’s Marc Stein suggested that there was optimism in Toronto about Casey’s new deal getting done by the end of last week.
A longtime assistant coach in Seattle and Dallas, Casey also had a brief stint as the Timberwolves’ head coach before he was hired as the Raptors’ coach for the 2011/12 season. Toronto has increased its win total every year since Casey arrived, going from 23 wins in 2011/12 to a franchise-record 56 this year. Overall, in his five seasons as the Raptors’ head coach, Casey has a 210-184 regular-season record, three playoff appearances, and a 13-18 postseason mark.
Casey’s three-year contract will be worth $18MM, according to Wojnarowski. Prior to the agreement, Stein had wrote that Casey’s deal figured to be similar to the one Terry Stotts received from the Trail Blazers after their playoff run. Stotts, who also had a year left on his contract, agreed to a three-year extension worth approximately $5.5MM per season.
Dave Zarum of Sportsnet.ca first reported that the Raptors and Casey were closing in on an extension agreement.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Marvin Lewis of basketball…….
Talked to coach at the summer league in Vegas a couple of years ago. He had given my nephew an autograph in the afternoon and still remembered his name when we talked to him in the evening. Just a very personable, likeable guy. He even invited us to a coaching clinic. It’s nice to see him rewarded.