Mick Cronin has been turning around UCLA basketball since being hired prior to the 2019-20 season. Now with the program coming off a regular-season Pac-12 title, the Bruins could be looking at a key piece of the coaching staff departing for the NBA.

According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, UCLA assistant Ivo Simovic is finalizing a deal to join the Toronto Raptors as an assistant coach. If finalized, that would team Simovic with fellow Serbian Darko Rajakovic who is the new head coach of the Raptors.

According to Thamel, Simovic was a key recruiter who helped the Bruins land Jan Vide and Ilane Fibleuil. Vide is a Slovenia prospect who was a late addition to UCLA’s 2023 recruiting class while Fibleuil is a 4-star shooting guard out of France.

Mick Cronin’s Bruin turnaround

After UCLA went 17-16 in Steve Alford’s final season, Cronin guided the Bruins to a 19-12 overall record before the 2020 NCAA Tournament was eventually canceled due to COVID. Since then, the Bruins have improved each season.

UCLA went 31-6 a season ago, the first 30-win season for the program since 2016-17. The Bruins also captured a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament as Pac-12 champs and finished in the top 10 of the AP Poll.