NBA notebook: Raptors reportedly name Nurse head coach

ESPN first reported
Nurse's promotion.

An assistant for the Raptors since 2013, Nurse, 50, was a two-time coach of
the year in the British Basketball League.

Nurse and San Antonio Spurs assistant Ettore Messina were the finalists to
replace Dwane Casey, who was named NBA Coach of the Year after leading the
Raptors to a franchise-best 59 wins and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern
Conference playoffs last season. But the team was again bounced from the
playoffs by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Casey was let go
shortly after.

Nurse, who is from Iowa and attended the University of Northern Iowa, also
coached in the D-League, winning championships in 2011 with the Iowa Energy
and in 2013 with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

--Kyrie Irving said "we'll see what management decides" when asked about the
possibility of former teammate LeBron James joining him on the Boston Celtics
this offseason.

Irving requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers last offseason after
playing in James' shadow for three seasons, and he got his wish when he was
dealt to the Celtics. Now, James has the potential to opt out of the final
year of his deal, and the Celtics have been linked to the sport's biggest star
as a potential suitor.

Also on the docket for Boston is assessing Irving's future with the team. The
26-year-old is eligible for an extension this summer, though he noted agreeing
to such a deal "doesn't make any sense" considering the potential to make up
to $80 million more next offseason.

--Jodie Meeks will return to the Washington Wizards next season after
exercising his $3.5 million player option, according to multiple reports.

Meeks will begin next season by serving the remaining 19 games of the 25-game
suspension he received in April for violating the league's anti-drug program.
The NBA said Meeks tested positive for banned compounds ipamorelin and
growth-hormone-releasing peptide-2, which he denied.

Meeks, 30, averaged 6.3 points in 14.5 minutes per game this season across 77
games. For his nine-year career, Meeks has averaged 9.3 points per game.

--Field Level Media