Report: Sergio Scariolo to extend contract with Raptors

While the Nick Nurse coaching tree has been in a state of chaos this week (Pacers uprising against Bjorkgren! Fred VanVleet wearing a coach’s polo — possible coup?), it appears there’ll be at least one consistent figure going forward among his support staff.

Eurohoops is reporting this morning that Sergio Scariolo will be extending his contract with the Raptors “for many years to come”, continuing an assistant role he started in the summer of 2018.

Of course, the 60-year-old Scariolo assumed the head coach’s chair earlier this season starting with a win over the Houston Rockets, and has plenty of top bench experience as the lead of the Spanish national team for two international runs (silver medal and a bronze). Overseas, he’s won the Spanish league twice among other accomplishments.

Scariolo, alongside Adrian Griffin, Jama Mahlalela and Jon Goodwillie, have made up Nurse’s head assistants this season, after the departures of Chris Finch (Minnesota) and Nate Bjorkgren (Indiana). Of those, Griffin is the most likely to get the next call-up from another team it seems, though Scariolo won’t be far from that conversation.

If he doesn’t get that long-awaited promotion, it at least is nice to lock in a familiar face on the Raptors bench.