Darko Rajakovic is yet another associate coach on the OKC Thunder staff drawing interest from Monty Williams to add to his Phoenix Suns staff.
Exits of Billy Donovan‘s associate coaches are becoming almost a daily occurrence this offseason which raises some interesting questions and possible concerns.
Last season Adrian Griffin left to join the Toronto Raptors – yes the same Raptors who are in the NBA Finals.
Flash forward to this season and Billy Donovan has already witnessed two coaches depart for new positions on other franchises. Mark Bryant is leaving to work with new Phoenix Head Coach (and former OKC Thunder assistant) Monty Williams. Likewise, Bob Beyer is headed to Sacramento to join new Head Coach Luke Walton‘s coaching crew.
The Suns are closing in on the hiring of OKC assistant Darko Rajakovic to join new coach Monty Williams' staff, league sources say. Williams has also pursued Golden State's Willie Green (currently working The Finals) to join previous hires Mark Bryant, Randy Ayers and Steve Blake
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 4, 2019
With Stein’s tweet that Thunder assistant Darko Rajakovic is also being pursued by Williams in Phoenix that marks the potential for three openings on the Thunder staff.
My immediate response to this is a little bit of disbelief and curiosity on why Donovan’s staff is soliciting so much interest. The Thunder isn’t the San Antonio Spurs or Golden State Warriors and what I mean by that is OKC hasn’t made deep playoff runs in Donovan’s tenure. Three consecutive first round exits is a far cry from what anyone in the NBA circle would deem as meeting expectations let alone overachieving.
Granted, Monty Williams has an existing relationship with the OKC Thunder and the coaching unit so at least part of the reason ties into that dynamic.
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Another possibility is the Suns and Kings are seeking to improve their defensive schemes which at least offers a credible path of logic I can grasp onto.
But – does this also raise some red flags over why these associate coaches are open to leaving Donovan’s staff.
For all intents and purposes, we’re told the Thunder have a close knit group in the locker room and the players and coaches all get along. So, is this an indictment of Donovan? Or am I trying to marry the narrative to my own personal beliefs?
If these associates were leaving to join a team taking a higher ranking position it would be a no-brainer. But, presumably, they are filling similar roles like the ones they currently do. Given that scenario and the team not having internal issues what percentage of this comes back to these coaches preferring to play for a different man at the helm?
Regardless of whether this is just a simple matter of previous relationships or something deeper the reality remains there will be a lot of turnover on Donovan’s staff this offseason.
And with so many young assets needing to take a step in order for the OKC Thunder to improve this is a situation worth keeping a close eye on.