After a deep run in the playoffs, the Toronto Raptors have locked up head coach Dwane Casey.
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical first reported that the Raptors and Casey have agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract extension while Doug Smith of the Toronto Star confirmed the report.
Dave Zarum of Sportsnet first reported the Raptors were close to a deal with Casey.
In the 2015-16 season, Casey coached the Raptors to a franchise-best 56 regular-season wins and their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers eliminated Toronto with a 113-87 win in Game 6 on Friday.
Casey, who was an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks during their 2010-11 championship-winning campaign, is 210-184 in five seasons as the head coach in Toronto.
Stein noted the process for coming to an agreement on a new contract for Casey should be similar to that of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts, who led his team to the second round of the NBA playoffs this year.
Casey has one year remaining on the three-year extension he signed in May 2014 and is slated to make $3.75 million next year, per Spotrac.
The team's Round 1 triumph over the Indiana Pacers was the first time Toronto advanced in the playoffs since 2001. The Raptors followed that with a seven-game win over the Miami Heat in the conference semifinals.
A new extension is deserved, but the Raptors' immediate future is uncertain. All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan is expected to decline his player option and test the free-agent market this summer, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post, as is center Bismack Biyombo—who played the role of playoff hero when starting big man Jonas Valanciunas went down with an ankle injury in Round 2—per Stein.
If those two leave Toronto for more money or better opportunities, Casey will face the daunting task of trying to repeat this season's success with a new-look roster.
