Raptors Fire Nick Nurse; Magic Coach Jesse Mermuys Candidate to Replace?

Jesse Mermuys has been with the Orlando Magic since 2021 but could he return to the Toronto Raptors, his home for four seasons from 2013-16?

Jeremy Brener | Apr 22, 2023

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The NBA coaching carousel is in full swing with three current openings for the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and now the Toronto Raptors after Nick Nurse was fired Friday.

Nurse, 55, has been with the Raptors for 10 seasons, five as an assistant and five as a head coach. He also led the franchise to its only NBA championship in his first season at the helm in 2019.

However, a premature elimination in the Play-In Tournament at the hands of the Chicago Bulls proved that the long relationship between the two sides had run its course. Now, the Raptors are looking for a new voice.

Among the candidates to replace Nurse is former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka, confirmed by ESPN. However, speculation could be had as to whether Orlando Magic assistant Jesse Mermuys warrants consideration.

Sportsnet analyst Blake Murphy believes Mermuys should be in the running and credits the Magic player development as a reason why.

He also has ties to the Raptors organization as an assistant under Dwane Casey from 2013-15. Then, he was hired to be the head coach and assistant general manager for the then-D-League affiliate Raptors 905 for the 2015-16 season.

Since then, Mermuys has returned to the NBA as an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and the Magic, where he has been for the past two seasons under Jamahl Mosley.

Ultimately, the chances of Mermuys being the guy for this coaching cycle is slim given all of the established coaches on the market and the Raptors' current desire to be a contender. That being said, it probably won't be long until Mermuys gets a lot of consideration if the Magic continues its upward trajectory.

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Published Apr 22, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.