Bobby Webster

Raptors Rumors: Webster, Trade Talks, Barrett

August 21st, 2025 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

It didn’t come as a surprise to people around the NBA that the Raptors ultimately named general manager Bobby Webster their permanent head of basketball operations, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said in a live stream on Wednesday (YouTube link). In fact, according to Fischer, the only surprise during the process was that Toronto publicly announced a search for a new top executive after parting ways with president Masai Ujiri.

“Someone I consult with who is involved in (executive) search firm stuff was taken aback by the fact that was even put out publicly,” Fischer said. “He was taking it – and the league was taking it – as a foregone conclusion that Bobby Webster would be running the show.”

The Raptors, who traded away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby during the 2023/24 season, have missed the playoffs for three straight seasons, but the expectation is that they’ll be more competitive going forward, per Fischer.

“The Raptors have definitely been given some type of formal pressure, some type of direction from their new leadership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to end this sort of rebuild era they’ve been in,” Fischer said, adding that the team will be aiming to claim a top-six playoff spot this season, not simply make the play-in tournament.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Following up on rumors from earlier in the offseason, Fischer confirmed that the Raptors were having trade discussions involving the No. 9 overall pick leading up to the draft and talked to the Celtics, among other teams. “They had conversations with Boston about both Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, trying to figure out ways to add either veteran into their backcourt,” Fischer said. Toronto ultimately kept the No. 9 pick and used it to select Collin Murray-Boyles.
While he acknowledged that it’s hard to predict trade-deadline activity in August, Fischer suggested that he fully anticipates the Raptors will continue seeking win-now help during the 2025/26 season. “I have the Raptors already earmarked as a buyer,” he said. “Now, if things go awry (or) if there’s something injury misfortune, maybe the Raptors don’t fully go that direction. But if everything goes as intended, if they’re faring night after night in the standings as they hope to be, as they intend to be, I’ve got the Raptors as a buyer.”
Veteran forward RJ Barrett looks like the top trade candidate on Toronto’s roster, according to Fischer, who noted that Barrett came up in the Brandon Ingram trade talks with the Pelicans in February, but New Orleans didn’t have much interest in him. “RJ Barrett’s representation is fully aware that he is someone that could be discussed in trades moving forward for the Raptors,” Fischer said.
In case you missed it, we took a closer look over the weekend at the Raptors’ offseason so far.

Raptors Notes: Webster, Pritchard, Roster Moves, Rotation

August 19th, 2025 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors announced on Monday that they’ve decided not to fill the president role formerly held by Masai Ujiri, with Bobby Webster hanging onto his title of general manager as he takes over as the team’s permanent head of basketball operations. That’s fine with Webster, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays.

“On the title, what’s the best way to put it? The title, to me, probably isn’t as important as the responsibilities,” Webster said. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I’ll make the most of it and that (not getting the president title) is not something that concerns me.”

While Webster seems unfazed by not being named the Raptors’ president, he’s still expected to have a chance to earn a promotion to that position based on how he handles his new responsibilities, Grange adds.

“This is his chance,” a source close to the hiring process told Sportsnet. “Show (us) he’s the president. It’s a process. It’s all about the rebuild, it’s all about the strategy going forward. Can Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes become an incredible duo? How do you manage the tax situation we’re currently in?

“At the end of the day, it will be about Bobby making the right decisions moving forward. He’s (40 years old) and he’s got every quality that you want representing your organization. Now, it comes down to wins and losses, building the reputation of the brand and dealing with the salary cap.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Grange hears from sources that Toronto formally interviewed Pacers president Kevin Pritchard, former Kings general manager Monte McNair, and former Raptors coach Dwane Casey for its president role, while Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports that Pacers GM Chad Buchanan and Bulls GM Marc Eversley also interviewed for the job. Pritchard was believed to be the candidate that intrigued the Raptors the most, but “prying him away from the Pacers proved difficult,” Grange writes.
While Webster believes the roster the Raptors have put together is ready to “make the next step” in 2025/26, there’s skepticism around the NBA about some of the moves the team has made in recent years. According to Grange, one Eastern Conference executive questioned the team’s investments in Immanuel Quickley (five years, $162.5MM), Ingram (three years, $120MM), and Jakob Poeltl (three years, $84MM): “I know sometimes you have to pay a premium for players in Canada, but that much?” Another rival executive, per Grange, suggested there’s an excess of wings on the roster and a lack of depth at point guard and center. “They have a lot of nice pieces,” that executive said. “It’s just not clear how they all fit.”
Some of the executives who interviewed for the Raptors’ president job were among those questioning the club’s recent personnel decisions, according to Lewenberg, who says one of those external candidates referred to the Ingram trade as a “desperate Hail Mary.”
Eric Koreen of The Athletic previews what the Raptors’ rotation might look like this fall, projecting Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jamal Shead, and Collin Murray-Boyles to be the top options off the bench behind a starting lineup of Barnes, Ingram, Quickley, Poeltl, and RJ Barrett.

Bobby Webster To Be Raptors’ New Head Of Basketball Operations

August 18th, 2025 at 11:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Raptors general manager Bobby Webster will be promoted to head of basketball operations, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

In a full story on the move, Charania states that Webster will remain the team’s GM, retaining the title he has held since 2017. The Raptors opted not to formally name a president at this time, the team said in a press release announcing Webster’s new full-time responsibilities.

Webster has been running the organization since it parted ways with Masai Ujiri in late June. His promotion follows an extensive search that included several external candidates, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link).

A report last month indicated that Bulls general manager Marc Eversley and Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan were among the candidates receiving consideration for the job. In addition, former Toronto coach Dwane Casey and ex-Sacramento GM Monte McNair were believed to have interviewed with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Keith Pelley.

According to Charania, Pelley and Webster worked together closely during Summer League in Las Vegas. That allowed Pelley to get a sense of Webster’s management style, while Webster was able to communicate his vision for the future.

Webster began his career with the NBA’s front office in 2006 before joining the Raptors in 2013 as Ujiri’s first hire. He started as vice president of basketball management and strategy, then worked his way up to assistant general manager before becoming GM.

“Going through this comprehensive process this summer and meeting with external candidates played a critical role in arriving at this decision as it made clear that we already have the right person leading the Raptors in-house,” Pelley said in a statement from the team. “When we weighed the many considerations, including roster construction, team culture and competitive landscape, it made perfect sense to officially hand the team to Bobby and give him the time and support to allow his plan to develop.

“After spending time together this summer in Las Vegas, I was very impressed by Bobby’s leadership style, his rapport with the players and staff, his reputation with his peers across the league and – especially and importantly – his vision for the Raptors. This team is his, now, to lead and I know we all look forward to what comes next.”

At the time of Ujiri’s exit, it was reported that Webster was one of multiple Raptors executives who had received a contract extension. Today’s announcement from the club indicates that Webster had his contract “further” extended, suggesting he signed a new deal for the second time this summer.

Webster will have leeway to run basketball operations as he sees fit for the foreseeable future and could eventually earn the president title, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca

Latest On Raptors’ Search For New Head Of Basketball Ops

July 26th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Rory Maher

General manager Bobby Webster is running the Raptors‘ front office for now following the abrupt dismissal of Masai Ujiri at the end of June.

According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, Webster is interested in becoming Toronto’s new head of basketball operations on a permanent basis and seems to be the frontrunner to land the position, but there are a number of other candidates to monitor as well.

A source tells Grange that most of the names that have come up in the search process are “lower-tier executives” who would make sense as complementary additions working under Webster.

However, there are some veteran executives who appear to be in the mix, including Brampton native Marc Eversley, who is currently GM of the Bulls. As Grange writes, Eversley is a board member of Canada Basketball, was previously an assistant GM in Toronto, and has a solid relationship with Webster.

Pacers GM Chad Buchanan is another name on the Raptors’ radar, Grange reports.

According to Grange, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Keith Pelley has met with both Dwane Casey and Monte McNair about the position.

Casey is the Raptors’ former head coach and is currently an executive with the Pistons, while McNair was Sacramento’s GM for five years prior to parting ways with the organization after the 2024/25 season.

One league insider who spoke to Grange suggested that Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard is MLSE’s top choice for the job, though Grange points out that lateral moves for executives under contract with other teams are difficult to pull off.

As for Ujiri, Grange says he would be “very surprised” if Toronto’s longtime former president accepted another NBA job for the upcoming season. In the future, Ujiri could be a candidate to lead an expansion team or run the NBA’s proposed European league, Grange writes.

That said, Ujiri will certainly be linked to any top executive roles that pop up in the coming months, according to Grange, who has heard speculation that the Heat could be a team to monitor, as Pat Riley recently turned 80 years old.

Raptors Notes: Poeltl, Webster, Ujiri, Ingram

July 16th, 2025 at 10:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Newly extended Raptors center Jakob Poeltl will serve as an integral frontcourt piece for Toronto this year, in part because the team is light at the center position beyond the 29-year-old, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Earlier this summer, Poeltl inked a new four-year, $104MM deal that will keep him under contract through 2029/30. In 57 healthy games for Toronto last season, the seven-footer out of Utah averaged 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per contest.

Grange notes that free agent addition Sandro Mamukelashvili could add jump shooting and face-up scoring in spot minutes, but suggest that Poeltl being an established commodity means he will be heavily leaned upon.

No. 57 pick Ulrich Chomche may be raw, but Grange observes that the 19-year-old has shown some potential already in Summer League.

The Raptors, meanwhile, made a big front office move this summer when they parted ways with longtime team president Masai Ujiri. The move happened while Poeltl was in the midst of contract negotiations on his extension.

“Obviously that was an extra conversation there, like, ‘Hey, does this change anything, what’s going on, what’s the deal with our future?’” Poeltl said. “But honestly, at the end of the day, it didn’t change much.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, Toronto’s search for its new president — and a promise from the club’s new ownership group to continue making changes — has left people within the organization uneasy. “Everybody is scared,” a source told Lewenberg. “The closer you are to the top, the more you feel it.”
Lewenberg proceeds to make the case for Ujiri’s longtime second-in-command, general manager Bobby Webster, to become his permanent replacement. However, he says the Raptors’ ownership group (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) enlisted the services of search firm CAA Executive Search, who submitted a list of recommended targets to the MLSE board last week.
What the team’s next personnel moves will be remain unclear. Several sources have described Ujiri as the “driving force” behind Toronto’s trade for former All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, per Lewenberg. Whether Ingram would remain a core part of the retooled roster under a new regime remains uncertain.
Lewenberg notes that the team could also potentially keep Webster in his current position, handling basketball operations, before making a long-term commitment to him.

Raptors Notes: Ujiri, Webster, Murray-Boyles, Martin

June 27th, 2025 at 10:34pm CST by Eli Cohen

The timing of the Raptors‘ announcement that they’re parting ways with president Masai Ujiri was met with some confusion on Friday morning, but according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, that decision was mutually made between the two parties.

As Grange relays (via Twitter), Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Keith Pelley told reporters on Friday that he met with Ujiri a month ago and the two came to an agreement that any change in leadership would happen after the draft, so as not to disrupt the draft evaluation process.

Ujiri spearheaded the Raptors for 12 years, including making the trades for Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol that helped turn the team into the 2019 NBA champions. He leaves the Raptors with a win-loss record of 545-419.

Pelley also confirmed that general manager Bobby Webster will interview for the newly vacant president position, per Grange (via Twitter). However, Pelley emphasized the importance of an exhaustive, wide-ranging search, telling reporters, “The president of an NBA franchise is always a big deal.”

Webster and assistant general manager Dan Tolzman are among the Raptors executives who recently received contract extensions that weren’t announced until today, notes Marc Stein of the Stein Line (Substack link). Stein adds that the high salaries that Ujiri and former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan were earning are believed to have factored “strongly” into MLSE’s decision to let go of both execs in recent weeks.

We have more news from the Raptors:

Ujiri served not only as a team-builder in Toronto but also as an energetic figurehead for the fan base and players alike, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who says Friday’s move opens the team to questions about how much of the change was motivated by changes in power structures at the ownership group MLSE. Koreen points to Edward Rogers, who became the most powerful person at MLSE last year, and his fractious relationship with Ujiri as a key factor. During his Friday media session, Pelley refuted the idea that the team will necessarily suffer from Ujiri’s departure. “When you create a brand, when you create a culture, if it is mitigated when that individual is no longer involved, then the culture and the brand has not been created in the right way,” he said. “And I believe that the way that (Ujiri) has built the brand and the way that he has created the culture is something that we as an organization at MLSE cherish and need now to build upon, and that will be something critical for the next president coming in.”
After taking Collin Murray-Boyles at No. 9 on Wednesday, the Raptors are setting themselves up for further roster changes, Koreen opines. While Murray-Boyles is a very talented player, Koreen writes that it’s hard to overlook his size and/or skill-set overlap with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, and Jonathan Mogbo. Webster confirmed that he doesn’t necessarily see this roster as a final product, saying, “I think we’re not so worried about position as we try to find these players. Obviously teams change a lot, and you can trade, there’s a lot of different movement there.” It’s important, per Webster, that players like Murray-Boyles and Barnes have high basketball IQs, which can mitigate some of the warts that could arise when they play together.
Josh Lewenberg of TSN suggests that the Raptors played it safe with the Murray-Boyles selection, opting for a player with a stable floor of defense and passing, rather than taking a bigger swing on higher-variance prospects, such as Khaman Maluach or Noa Essengue. However, Lewenberg adds that Murray-Boyles fits the tough-as-nails identity that helped propel a team like the Thunder to the championship. “The intensity ratchets up and defence is so much more important, which is why I think [coach Darko Rajakovic] and our coaching staff preach that so much, knowing that someday we’re hoping to be in that situation,” Tolzman said. “Those are the types of guys we’re looking for.”
That exact mindset is what led the Raptors to second-round pick Alijah Martin, writes Grange, who says that by choosing Martin at 39, Toronto doubled down on gritty, physical defense. “He’s got a lot of room for growth still. One of those guys, get him in our program and see what he can do. He’s going to fight for everything he can get,” Tolzman said of Martin.
Grange notes that Martin averaged 1.3 steals per game over four years as a starter and helped lead Florida to the NCAA championship this season. Martin, for his part, described himself as the ultimate role player. “As a defender, you gotta lay your body on the line. My best attribute defensively is my ability to match your body up, being able to stay mentally poised,” he said.

Raptors Part Ways With Team President Masai Ujiri

June 27th, 2025 at 9:05am CST by Rory Maher

9:05 am: The Raptors have put out a press release officially confirming that they’ve parted ways with Ujiri.

“During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it,” MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement. “He brought an NBA Championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city, and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best. As we plan for the franchise’s future, and its return to the NBA Playoffs, a search for the successor as president of the Raptors, led by CAA Executive Search, will begin immediately.”

According to the announcement, the Raptors’ other top executives, including Webster, remain in place and have received contract extensions.

“We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place,” Pelley continued. “They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel. We feel the team is in a strong, stable place, and we believe the addition of a new president will continue to move the Raptors forward, towards our next NBA championship.”

8:11 am: Longtime Raptors president and vice chairman Masai Ujiri is leaving the franchise, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links), who reports that the two sides have decided to part ways with Ujiri entering the final year of his contract.

There were some warning sides that Ujiri and the Raptors might be headed toward a split at some point, but it’s a little surprising that it’s happening right before free agency begins next week and the morning after the two-day NBA draft, notes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).

Last fall, Rogers Communications bought out BCE (Bell)’s stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the Raptors. Previously, Rogers and Bell had each owned 37.5% of the company, but that deal gave Rogers majority control.

Reporting in the wake of that move noted that Ujiri and Rogers chairman Edward Rogers III have had a “strained relationship” in the past. The Rogers chairman reportedly opposed the terms of the contract extension that Ujiri signed with the club in 2021.

According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), rival teams have speculated for months that the ownership change might eventually lead to Ujiri exiting the franchise. Some rival executives had described Ujiri as “hard to deal with,” citing his ego, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link). The 54-year-old is reportedly making $15MM per year, Begley adds.

Marc Stein reported in May that the Hawks were interested in having Toronto’s longtime president of basketball operations run their front office. It’s unclear if he actually interviewed, but the fact that Ujiri was cited as a potential candidate was certainly noteworthy.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Raptors have largely struggled over the past half-decade, missing the playoffs in four out of the past five years. Ujiri acknowledged the team was in rebuilding mode last fall, but after going 30-52 in 2024/25 and making a major trade for Brandon Ingram in February, he said in April he was determined to bring Toronto another championship.

After starting his career as a scout, Ujiri worked his way up to assistant general manager with the Raptors in 2008 before leaving to become the GM in Denver in 2010. He was named Executive of the Year with the Nuggets in 2013, then returned to Toronto as executive vice president.

Ujiri bolstered his reputation as one of the NBA’s top executives when he built the Raptors team that captured the franchise’s first-ever NBA title in 2019. Toronto won between 51 and 59 games each season from 2015/16 through 2019/20, advancing to at least the semifinals of the Eastern Conference in each of those five years. The final piece of the puzzle was a bold move to trade for San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard, who was entering the final year of his contract and only spent one season in Toronto.

Ujiri was promoted to president and vice chairman in 2021, with Bobby Webster, Toronto’s general manger since 2017, having focused more on running the team’s day-to-day operations in recent years. Webster will likely lead the basketball operations department for now.

As for Ujiri’s next move, it’s unclear whether or not he’ll seek a new position with an NBA franchise in the short term. Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link) notes that an executive from another team told him Ujiri has aspirations beyond running a team, including focusing on charity and political work.

Raptors Notes: Rajakovic, Lillard, Siakam, VanVleet

October 3rd, 2023 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

The arrival of new Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic looks like a reason for optimism in Toronto, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says that Rajakovic is bringing a “people-first” approach to his new role and appears to be connecting quickly with his players.

Scottie Barnes said on Monday that he loves the “energy” and “joy” Rajakovic brings to the job, while Gary Trent Jr. told reporters that the coach’s communication has been “great,” noting that Rajakovic is interested in talking to his players about topics beyond basketball.

“I’ve been in the NBA six years and I’ve had more conversations with him (outside of basketball) than with any coach I’ve ever had,” Trent said, per Lewenberg. “It’s been refreshing.”

The start of Rajakovic’s first NBA head coaching job has been marred to some extent by a lawsuit filed by the Knicks which claims that a former Knick employee shared proprietary information with Rajokovic and the Raptors after being hired by the franchise. The Raptors, who issued a statement in August disputing the claims in the suit, downplayed the case again on Monday, as William Lou of Sportsnet.ca writes.

“I know who I am. I know how my parents raised me. I know what I see in the mirror,” Rajakovic said in maintaining his innocence. “I cannot wait for this lawsuit to be over so everyone can see the truth.”

Here’s more out of Toronto:

Speaking to Danielle Michaud of Sportsnet, Raptors general manager Bobby Webster confirmed that the team’s interest in Damian Lillard was real. “You’d have to ask (the Trail Blazers),” Webster said when asked how close Toronto got to landing Lillard. “We were very aggressive. I’d say probably the biggest offer we’ve ever made for a player, but it’s up to them to accept it and so I think that’s, you know, you kind of never know what tilted a deal towards you or not. But maybe time will tell, we’ll find out.”
Pascal Siakam pushed back against any implication that he might have been one of the Raptors who played selfishly last season, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays. “I’ll speak for me, personally, I’ve never been a selfish player in my life,” Siakam said. “I’ve always played the game the right way and that’s from the first time I started playing basketball. I’ve always been a team player. All the things that I do on the basketball court is about the team and I’ve been like that my whole career.”
The free agency departure of veteran point guard Fred VanVleet was one of the topics Raptors president Masai Ujiri addressed on Monday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “Could we have traded Fred at the trade deadline? If that was a failure, we take responsibility for it,” Ujiri said. “Sometimes it depends on opportunity and respect (for) the player. We respected Fred. Fred decided to go somewhere, to better opportunities. It was good for him. Maybe it was good for us, too.”
The Raptors are one of five teams that John Hollinger of The Athletic is confident will beat their consensus over/under (36.5 wins) this season. While Hollinger acknowledges that going to VanVleet to Dennis Schröder is a downgrade at point guard, he notes that Toronto won 41 games in a down year last season, played better after acquiring Jakob Poeltl, and will have incentive to be as good as possible, since San Antonio owns the Raptors’ top-six protected 2024 first-round pick.

Former Warriors Exec Bob Myers Likely To Get Job Offers

July 29th, 2023 at 9:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bob Myers indicated that he wanted some time away from the game when he stepped down as president of basketball operations and general manager of the Warriors, but fans should expect to hear his name mentioned in connection to any openings that arise in the next few months, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

The most obvious team for Myers, according to Fischer, is the Clippers because of his longtime association with team consultant Jerry West and the working relationship they developed during their time together with Golden State. Myers spent more than a decade with the Warriors and helped to win four championships, so Fischer believes he’ll be among the first names that any team will call if it decides to shake up its front office.

Fischer identifies a few other former general managers who may be in line for a second chance, including ex-Utah GM Dennis Lindsey, who is currently working in the Mavericks‘ front office, Kings assistant GM Wes Wilcox, who has rebuilt his reputation after his experience in Atlanta, and former Orlando GM Rob Hennigan, who is VP of basketball operations with the Thunder.

Fischer passes along more information about rising stars in NBA front offices:

Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon was among the candidates to become the Wizards’ president of basketball operations and he’ll likely be considered for similar jobs in the future, Fischer writes. Raptors GM Bobby Webster, Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey and new Clippers GM Trent Redden all appear headed for team president roles someday, Fischer adds.
Jeff Peterson, the Nets‘ assistant GM, is considered one of the league’s best young executives, according to Fischer. Peterson interviewed for the Pistons’ GM slot in 2020, and Fischer hears that he’s viewed as one of the favorites to take over the Hornets if they decide to replace Mitch Kupchak, who’s in the final year of his contract. Pelicans assistant GM Bryson Graham could be first in line to replace Langdon if he leaves, but league sources tell Fischer that he might get an opportunity with another team before that happens.
Tayshaun Prince is a valuable member of the Grizzlies‘ front office and has received overtures about running other teams, according to Fischer. Among other former NBA players, Jameer Nelson has built a strong reputation in the Sixers‘ front office for his work with their G League affiliate, and Acie Law appears headed for a promotion with the Thunder after Will Dawkins was hired by the Wizards.
Fischer identifies CAA’s Austin Brown as an agent who might move into a front office role, noting that he was a candidate to run the Bulls in 2020. Fischer also singles out agents Jason Glushon and Todd Ramasar, along with Kirk Berger, a legal counsel with the players’ union.

Raptors’ Ownership Group Fought Over Masai Ujiri Extension

October 25th, 2021 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

Various factions of the Raptors‘ ownership group held divergent opinions on how to handle the contract negotiations with team president Masai Ujiri earlier this year, according to a fascinating report from Christine Dobby and Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Ujiri finalized a new long-term extension with the franchise in August.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns the Raptors, is controlled in part by Rogers Communications (37.5%), BCE (Bell) Inc. (37.5%), and team governor Larry Tanenbaum‘s Kilmer Group (25%).

Edward Rogers – the former chair of Rogers Communications who has recently been embroiled in a public battle for control of the company with his mother and siblings – opposed the terms of the deal that Tanenbaum and Bell wanted to offer Ujiri, expressing that the compensation was too high and that general manager Bobby Webster was capable of taking over control of the team’s front office if necessary, sources tell The Toronto Star.

According to Dobby and Smith, Rogers explicitly told Ujiri he didn’t think he was worth the salary the rest of the Raptors’ ownership group wanted to offer him, prompting MLSE executives to go into “damage-control mode” and to tell Ujiri to ignore those comments.

Rogers insisted he would only agree to the deal if a dozen terms were met, including 11 relating to Ujiri’s compensation and one that would see Rogers Communications take its 37.5% stake in MLSE and combine it with the Toronto Blue Jays to create a separate company. However, because Tanenbaum holds the title of Raptors governor, he had the authority to make the final call on personnel issues without Rogers’ sign-off, which is the path he chose to complete Ujiri’s deal, according to The Star.

Rogers, who was “furious,” reached out to commissioner Adam Silver, but was told by two league officials that Tanenbaum had the right to make that decision, per Dobby and Smith.

Asked on Sunday about the negotiations, Rogers said he has the “utmost respect” for Ujiri and is happy he remains in his current role.

“Masai understands better than anyone that negotiations test both sides,” Rogers said. “The best deals involve compromise and leave all parties feeling like winners.”

According to Dobby and Smith, Ujiri’s contract with the Raptors includes a $15MM annual salary, with the ability to earn more in incentive pay if the value of the franchise continues to increase. Ujiri also received the new title of vice chairman to go along with his president title.

A league source tells The Toronto Star that another NBA team offered Ujiri a 3% ownership stake, with a salary higher than the $15MM per year he received from the Raptors. Soccer teams in the English Premier League also expressed interest in Ujiri, per Dobby and Smith.

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