Jan. 26, 2026, 11:01 a.m. CT
Nearly a decade removed from when his checks were signed by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Darko Rajakovic knew the backends of Paycom Center like the back of his hand. He mazed through the hallways with a breeze. Spending almost a decade there gives your internal GPS an advantage.
While Rajakovic’s visits to OKC have dwindled to just one time a season, his relationships with the organization remain strong. He chatted it up with Thunder reporter Nick Gallo. He stopped in the hallways to talk to arena staff, asking about how their kids are doing.
For an organization known as the top of the class of development on all fronts, Rajakovic goes under the radar. He spent his NBA beginnings with the Thunder. The risky decision to cross the globe paid off. He’s now viewed as one of the better head coaches and has helped the Toronto Raptors be one of the best surprise teams this season.
Before the Raptors picked up arguably their best win of the season, Rajakovic reminisced on his time in OKC. He was the D-League’s Tulsa 66ers head coach from 2012-14. He then joined the Thunder’s bench as an assistant from 2014-19.
Rajakovic had a couple of more stops as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies before he became the Raptors’ head coach in 2023.
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“When I first came to interview for a job, I stayed in downtown. It was Sunday afternoon and I went for a walk. There was nobody in the streets. Compliment to the city and how much it’s grown over the last 10-15 years,” Rajakovic said. “It wouldn’t have changed without the high-quality people Oklahoma City has and this organization led by Sam Presti.”
The Thunder and Raptors have taken different paths to their respective success. The former is all about development and homegrown talent. The latter is a little bit bolder. They’re not afraid to make dicey moves. Look at how Brandon Ingram’s arrival has worked out. Same with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
On a roster with no clear-cut high-end NBA scorer, Rajakovic has squeezed every drop of juice out of his roster. Nobody reasonably predicted Toronto to be a top-three seed in the East over halfway through the season. You can credit his coaching style and brewing one of the league’s best defenses for that.
If you’re the Raptors, you gotta feel ecstatic with how things are right now. For the first time since Kawhi Leonard’s one-year fling with the franchise, they’re back to being a relevant team. Rajakovic’s work over the years is finally blossoming to the top.
That said, Rajakovic will always have a soft spot for his upbringing on the Thunder. That’s where he learned about the NBA business with firsthand experience. Coaching their developmental team and being on the bench for several contenders went a long way.
“It is very rewarding to see that Mr. Bennett, Sam and the group of people they have over here continue to grow over time. They have the chance to compete at the highest level and to win a championship,” Rajakovic said. “Definitely congratulations on their championship. I’m very, very proud of my time here.”