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Golden State Warriors suffer ‘big loss’ with departure of important assistant

By Peter O'Keefe

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 26: Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stands on the side of the court during Game Five of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on April 26, 2023 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 26: Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr stands on the side of the court during Game Five of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on April 26, 2023 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The fallout from the Golden State Warriors disappointing playoff exit has continued, with the franchise losing one of Steve Kerr’s top assistants for the second consecutive season.

A year after Mike Brown left to be head coach of the Sacramento Kings, the Warriors will now be without Jama Mahlalela who’s chosen to return to the Toronto Raptors after a championship and two years with Golden State.

Jama Mahlalela’s departure to the Toronto Raptors has been classified as a ‘big loss’ for the Golden State Warriors who continue to go through major change.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that the Raptors are hiring Mahlalela and Washington Wizards’ assistant Pat Delany, forming a strong team around recently appointed first-time head coach Darko Rajakovic.

Mahlalela had spent two seasons at the Warriors as an assistant, specifically focusing on the Warriors’ youngsters as director of player development. According to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Connor Letourneau, Mahlalela had also oversaw the Golden State rotation.

His departure to the Raptors is not unsurprising given he’s a Canadian national with deep ties to the organization. After spending four years at the University of Toronto in the early part of the century, Mahlalela became an assistant with the Raptors in 2013 before becoming head coach of their G League affiliate in 2018.

Acquiring his services in the 2021 offseason was seen a major coup for the Warriors, with Mahlaela undoubtedly playing a big role in the franchise’s return to the NBA throne last season.

It continues a big offseason of change already for Golden State after long-term General Manager and President of Basketball Operations, Bob Myers, announced he would step down effective at the end of June.

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With a front office restructure in place, the Warriors could be looking at major player changes over the coming weeks throughout the draft and free agency periods. On top of that, it appears they’ll now have to find a replacement in Kerr’s coaching setup.

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