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The Nuggets are in a tricky situation with executive Masai Ujiri heading into the weekend. After agreeing in principle to a multi-million dollar and multi-year deal with team president Josh Kroenke prior to this summer, Kroenke said Friday night that as he and Ujiri were working through the final details of the arrangement, the Toronto GM position opened up and Toronto asked permission to interview Ujiri. "I have understood all along the relationships that Masai has in Toronto, and I respect those immensely," Kroenke said in a phone interview. "So when Toronto inquired about him recently, I knew that it was going to be a tough situation for everyone strictly because of the relationships involved." Denver Post

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri, Josh Kroenke 

But Kroenke felt obliged to let him do the interview because of their friendship and Ujiri's relationships in Toronto. Now Ujiri is mulling over an offer with the Raptors. Yahoo Sports reported it could be as high as $3 million, a high payment for a team executive. "No matter what happens, we're going to be OK. I have all the confidence in the world in our players, our staff, and organization as a whole," said Kroenke, whose Nuggets won executive of the year in 2009 with Mark Warkentien and then this season with Ujiri. Denver Post

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri, Josh Kroenke 

After a lengthy meeting with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment executives in Colorado on Friday, Denver Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri – armed with a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract offer – is engaged in negotiations to take over as the Toronto Raptors' GM, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

Ujiri will take the next couple days to fully consider the move, but significant momentum has gathered that likely will lead to Ujiri's departure from the franchise that he completely remade into a Western Conference contender, sources told Y! Sports. Ujiri's Denver contract expires on June 30, and it appears Nuggets ownership has no intention of making an aggressive counter to the Raptors' dogged pursuit of the NBA's Executive of the Year. Yahoo! Sports

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

Denver ownership "seems to be moving on," one league source familiar with the talks told Y! Sports. Toronto's bid is believed to be double – perhaps even triple – the best offer Denver has made to Ujiri in his contract talks with the organization. Ujiri is one of the lowest-paid executives in the league, and the Kroenke family – which owns the Nuggets – doesn't appear moved to make a competitive bid to hold onto him. Yahoo! Sports

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Toronto officials are meeting with Denver GM Masai Ujiri in Colorado today, league source tells Y! Sports. Process is moving fast now. Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

The Denver Nuggets have granted the Toronto Raptors permission to speak to the NBA's Executive of the Year, Masai Ujiri, and a meeting is expected to take place within the next 24 hours, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Unless Denver responds soon with a market-value contract extension to keep its general manager, Ujiri is prepared to leave Denver for the chance to rebuild the Raptors organization, league sources said. Yahoo! Sports

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke is aggressively pursuing Ujiri to become the Raptors' general manager and plans to present an offer that will pay him nearly $3 million annually over the course of a multiyear contract, league sources said. Yahoo! Sports

Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri, Tim Leiweke 

Adrian Wojnarowski: Toronto expects a response today on its request to Denver for permission to speak to GM Masai Ujiri, league sources tell Y! Sports. Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

Early estimates suggest that the Toronto Raptors would be willing to offer Masai Ujiri an annual salary in excess of $2 million to leave the Denver Nuggets' front office. The Nuggets, I'm told, nonetheless remain positive that they'll be able to hang on to Ujiri -- just named the NBA's Executive of the Year for the 2012-13 season -- while know that they'll obviously have to raise his reported salary of $500,000 to keep him from wanting to leave. ESPN.com

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

Michael Grange: According to league sources, Denver has not yet granted permission to the Raptors to talk directly with Masai Ujiri /1 Twitter @michaelgrange

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

Michael Grange: Word is Ujiri is open to talk with Toronto, but loyal to Denver for obvious reasons. Will Nuggets step up with fat extension? Key issue. /2 Twitter @michaelgrange

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

But NBA sources have confirmed that Ujiri is at the very least “intrigued” by the opportunity in Toronto, and not just because the Raptors have suggested through back channels (likely an executive search firm contracted to do background work on identified candidates and make third-party approaches to those already under contract with other teams) that he could command a four-year contract worth about $9 million. It’s a nice pay packet in a league where the average general manager earns $1 million per year. SportsNet

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

It only makes sense that before they do respond Denver will negotiate the parameters of a new contract with Ujiri. League sources suggest that Wednesday will be the earliest any formal talks between Ujiri and the Raptors can take place — and only if Ujiri doesn’t get a significant offer on a contract extension from Denver in the meantime. SportsNet

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

And some sources are quick to suggest it’s not just a matter of finalizing a contract with the 43-year-old Ujiri, whose contract with the Nuggets expires this year. New MLSE chief executive officer Tim Leiweke, who will make the final decision on Colangelo’s replacement, may be looking to make an even bigger splash with his first hire on the job. However, the list of potential candidates doesn’t suggest there’s going to be much of a “wow” factor to the new front office addition. The only other outside names that have been mentioned privately in NBA circles are Indiana GM Kevin Pritchard and Troy Weaver of the Oklahoma City Thunder, both solid front office personnel but hardly the kind of ‘rock star’ hire many expected Leiweke would be able to pull off. Toronto Star

Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, Kevin Pritchard, Troy Weaver, Masai Ujiri, Tim Leiweke 

Adrian Wojnarowski: The MLSE remains in full pursuit of Denver GM Masai Ujiri to assume full control of Raptors, sources tell Y! Twitter @WojYahooNBA

Toronto Raptors, Bryan Colangelo, Masai Ujiri 

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment is pursuing Denver Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri to take over as the top basketball executive of the Toronto Raptors, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri 

Masai, the 2013 NBA Executive of the Year, has emerged as the top choice of the search firm – Korn/Ferry International – that's been charged with finding a successor to Raptors president Bryan Colangelo, league sources said. MLSE has until Monday to make a decision on Colangelo's contract option for next year. It is possible that he could stay with the franchise under a new top basketball official. Yahoo! Sports

Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Bryan Colangelo, Masai Ujiri 

Mind-boggling. That’s how Nuggets executive Masai Ujiri described the snubbing of Andre Iguodala, who wasn’t named to either the NBA’s first or second team all-defense. Advanced stats and the old-fashioned eye test both prove that the Nuggets’ guard is an elite defender, but he was left off the teams, voted upon by the 30 NBA coaches. “It’s mind-boggling to me,” Ujiri said in a statement to The Denver Post. “I mean, when the US Olympic team enlists a defensive stopper, there is no question who they choose – Andre Iguodala. Yet, for some reason he can’t be considered one of the top-10 defensive players in the NBA? It’s just shocking that he continues to be overlooked as a world-class defender in our league. I honestly thought he should be in the conversation for defensive player of the year, let alone first or even second team all-defense.” Denver Post

Denver Nuggets, Andre Iguodala, Masai Ujiri 

Jody Genessy: NBA front-office types voted Denver's Masai Ujiri executive of the year. Jazz's Kevin O'Connor got two second-place votes, finished 13th. Twitter @DJJazzyJody

Denver Nuggets, Masai Ujiri