Longtime Raptors team president Masai Ujiri, who was let go by the franchise the day after the draft, appeared on “Good Morning America” to promote his non-profit youth basketball organization Giants of Africa and addressed the end of his Toronto run this summer (YouTube video link).
The Raptors claimed their one and only franchise title with Ujiri running their front office in 2019, but have made just two playoff appearances in the six years since then.
“Twelve incredible years with the Toronto Raptors and I’m so grateful and thankful for the opportunity,” Ujiri said (hat tip to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca for the transcription via Twitter). “I love you, Toronto. A great part, great journey in my life. It’s time. Great things come to an end.”
The Raptors remain on the hunt for a long-term Ujiri replacement, even with the 2025 offseason well under way. Recently extended general manager Bobby Webster is among the candidates expected to interview for his former boss’ job.
There’s more out of Toronto:
- Raptors center Jakob Poeltl inked a massive four-year, $104MM contract extension to remain in Toronto through 2029/30. Lewenberg, who hears from a source that the final season is partially guaranteed, contends in a TSN.ca story that the 29-year-old big man has become one the league’s most underrated players. Lewenberg acknowledges that Poeltl is more of a traditional five, without a three-point shot. However, he adds that the big man has been a solid two-way contributor who has made the team better when he’s on the court and is clearly a building block Toronto hopes can steward the team into its next era of contention.
- The Poeltl extension points to the Raptors’ need to pay a bit of a premium for quality talent, notes The Athletic’s Eric Koreen. Koreen considers the Poeltl deal to be something of an overpay for a mid-career, non-All-Star center with Poeltl’s aforementioned offensive limitations, but acknowledges it may just be the price of doing business for a Toronto team hoping to claw its way back to respectability.
- Given that Poeltl, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett are all signed to significant eight-figure contracts, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca notes that Toronto is hopeful the more cost-effective young players on the roster will emerge as reliable depth pieces.
- In case you missed it, former Raptors assistant coach Sergio Scariolo will wrap up his tenure as Spain’s national team head coach after EuroBasket this summer and will reunite with Real Madrid as the Spanish club’s head coach for 2025/26.
I viewed this trade as the worst trade in recent years – before June
Trade Ingram
He is declining and Overpaid
A group of starters who are all decent but not good enough to win a title. Might make the playoffs as the 3-5th seed every year for the next few.
The draw is they get to live in Canada where people aren’t thrown off their healthcare benefits.
Ok, so you say it was a horrible trade/contract and he’s declining and overpaid.
Why would any team trade for him then? It sounds great, trading away all of your terrible contracts, but another team has to want that terrible contract.
So I think Ujiri was exposed as kind of a fraud here. A reputation greater than the results.
I wouldn’t say “fraud” but I agree with your second sentence. 1 title is a title and beating the team they did to win it, he should get credit for that roster building.
To be fair to Masai, winning one in Toronto is like winning 2-3 in a Los Angeles or Boston.
He pushed all his chips into the centre and won big. As a 48 year old guy who is a life long Knicks fan, I would gladly take a decade of mediocrity or below average if it followed a championship season.
steven st croix:
I greatly appreciate your feedback. I’m sticking with fraud. The sky seems to go around, acting like he’s king of the world for accomplishments that don’t really seem to be there. Just my opinion.
The sky = this guy
Execs who don’t win get extensions, those who improve the team get fired. NBA is such a weird place, like these unionized jobs. Trade Quickley, Murray-Boyles, Agbaji and 3 firsts for Markkanen.
He has the 2019 trophy. That’s his (positive) legacy. Before 2019, he was a excellent maintainer of inherited playoff teams, with a developing reputation as a good talent evaluator. After that, he continued with the same M/O until it became untenable. He only reluctantly committed to a rebuild, and then conducted it a reluctant way, almost as if he didn’t want to own it. To the extent that his legacy is based on the rebuilt roster he leaves behind, accolades might prove elusive. It might be an unfinished product, but its not like it had to be.
If he wants a great FO legacy, then he’ll have to get another job.
Dumbest move this year so far. Passing on Maluach.
Plus how do you invest all your money on same positions. They traded for RJ and Quickley. Two young talents you can build with. Then now are looking to move them both. We can all see Quickley is overpaid. And the Raptors are lost ……
Trade Ingram and Poeltl. Then you can dtart to see the light …….