After the franchise’s best-ever regular season, the Toronto Raptors rewarded coach Dwane Casey with a three-year contract extension, multiple media outlets reported Monday.
The Toronto Star broke the story, and David Aldridge of NBA.com reported that Casey would be paid just under $4 million per year in his new deal.
The Raptors won the Atlantic Division title for just the second time in franchise history after a 48-34 regular- season record. They earned the Eastern Conference’s third playoff seed and fell in the first round of the postseason to the Brooklyn Nets, losing Game 7 on Sunday, 104-103.
Casey’s old contract was up once the season ended.
The team’s record improved in each of Casey’s three seasons on the bench. Toronto went 23-42 in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, then went 34-48 in 2012-13.
Casey, 57, previously coached the Minnesota Timberwolves, compiling a 53-69 record in 2005-06 and 2006-07. He was fired midway through the latter season.
Earlier Monday, before news of the new contract broke, Raptors players expressed their support for Casey.
“One thing I respect about Coach Casey, man, he’s been consistent,” guard DeMar DeRozan said. “He’s been the same Dwane Casey since he’s been here. Preached the same thing, told us to stick with the same principles and they’ll work. We did it, and everything he said came together like he said it would.”
Restricted free agent guard Greivis Vasquez also cited Casey’s presence as a reason he is leaning toward returning to the Raptors.