Rajaković is adding his old mentor to Raptors' coaching staff: report

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković is adding a longtime pal to his coaching staff.

Per a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, UCLA assistant Imo Simović is joining the Raptors next season as one of Rajaković’s assistants, part of an ongoing replacement to revamp Toronto’s coaching staff.

Sources: UCLA basketball assistant Ivo Simovic is finalizing a deal to become a Toronto Raptors assistant coach. He joins the staff of fellow Serbian Darko Rajakovic, who he has worked with previously in Serbia and Spain. pic.twitter.com/rTHL6KTXJB

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) June 26, 2023

Simović spent one season at UCLA, with previous stints in the American collegiate circuity at Hartford, Charlotte, and Loyola (Maryland) after making the move over from Europe in 2015.

Rajaković previously worked under Simović in one of his previous head coaching gigs, with his new assistant serving a multi-year team as the sporting director of CB Espacio Torrelodones in Spain.

Simović also worked with Rajaković at Red Star in Belgrade (known formally as Crvena zvezda), with the latter working in the organization’s youth system while the former served as the senior team’s head coach.

Though he’s technically been a mentor to Rajaković in the past, he’s not that much older: he was born in January 1979, while Rajaković was born a month later in February.

“I started coaching when I was 16 years old and now, 27 years later, I get appointed to be a head coach of [an] unbelievable organization,” Rajaković said at his introductory press conference in Toronto. “To have a chance to live in an amazing city like Toronto is [incredible], and I’m just proud to be here.”

Simović is the fourth hire — and third assistant — the Raptors have made this offseason.

On June 15, ESPN Senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Raptors are adding Washington Wizards assistant coach Pat Delany and Golden State Warriors assistant coach and director of player development Jama Mahlalela to their staff.

Toronto has lost two members from Nick Nurse’s staff last season to new jobs in other organizations: Adrian Griffin, who took a head coaching gig with the Milwaukee Bucks, and Nate Mitchell, who joined Griffin as an assistant.

Meanwhile, longtime Toronto assistant and community ambassador Jamaal Magloire is no longer on the team’s bench but remains with the organization.

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