Example: During the Las Vegas summer league, word circulated that Lore and Rodriguez would have loved to have made a run at Toronto’s Masai Ujiri to lead Minnesota’s front office. Ujiri recently signed a lucrative contract extension to stay with the Raptors — and the Wolves realistically had no shot at him — but the whispered interest only reinforces the notion that Lore and Rodriguez want to make splashy hires.
NBA Rumor: Raptors Front Office
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While delivering a speech in Toronto for the unveiling of his new art installation, Humanity, on Wednesday, Masai Ujiri explained why he decided to re-up with the organization, getting emotional in the process. “You know why I’m staying here? You know why I love here? It’s because of that: diversity, people. When I come to the games every day, I see people from everywhere,” he said, fighting back tears.
That vision—of people from all walks of life uniting as one—is the driving force behind his installation. Erected outside of Union Station by Ramm Design, the eight-foot high circular sculpture is made up of 35 words that reflect what humanity means to Ujiri. The piece uses light in order to create a cascading effect with its words, and serve as a tangible reminder to people to think about the ties that bind us all. It will stay on display until October 31.
In the video the Raptors released announcing that you were re-signing, you kept referring to the city as “home.” Why does Toronto feel like home to you? Masai Ujiri: It will always feel like home to me. This is where three of my kids were born and I appreciate it. And you feel the love, you know? There’s something in the city that we’re all tied to in some special way. We are bonded with many things. And I love that. Whether it’s my team, whether it’s winning a championship, whether it’s doing the work we do, whether it’s leaning on people or people leaning on us, there’s plenty of love in the city. And I love that.
Masai Ujiri to make $15 million per season?
He’s been given the keys to the kingdom – or he’s earned them. Multiple sources have confirmed that there’s no ownership arrangement but in addition to a salary believed to be in the $15 million range, there is likely some ‘equity-like’ elements to the deal.
According to executive compensation experts that could mean Ujiri earning bonuses based on revenues or even participating in the growth in the valuation of the company over the course of his deal. Given the revenues MLSE has enjoyed, not to mention the trajectory of NBA franchise values – $2 billion and climbing, even at the low end – Ujiri is in position to be richly rewarded.
But he believes it can be done and the Raptors have given him a deal that expressed their full confidence that he can make history again. “I want to celebrate properly one day when we win a championship,” Ujiri said. “… And it’ll happen, by the grace of God.”
Following the announcement, Raptors governor and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum spoke with The Athletic about Ujiri’s role as vice-chairman of the organization. “I chair the Raptors, but it’s just a recognition that we’re really working together. We’re partners,” Tanenbaum said. “We’re (not just) partners in building the team, but partners in the other areas where he knows he speaks with authority.”
Tanenbaum confirmed that though Ujiri’s title is vice-chairman, he will not be a part of the ownership group in spite of rumors the Wizards were angling to offer that as a bonus to joining Washington. But the title carries significant weight for Ujiri, not just as one of the league’s most renowned basketball executives, but as someone who has taken on an increasingly prominent role in global basketball and philanthropic development. “It’s a title recognition that allows him to have maybe just a touch more (authority) when he goes out, (such) as in Africa, to know that we’re standing shoulder to shoulder there in the causes that he’s promoting,” said Tanenbaum. “Whether to community groups, to politicians, in Africa, it’s a title that allows him the platform. It’s a serious platform that he has and he is a serious guy.”
“It’s hugely important to both of us personally, for both Masai and myself. It’s a hugely important part of our lives,” Tanenbaum said. “For Masai, his work as our most senior executive with the Raptors and the successes that we have had can be seen in each game, each year as we’re as we’re building and as we won the NBA championship in 2019. But, for our basketball people, that’s his success. For me his success is on both businesses, basketball and making a difference in the world that we live in. He is making that difference.
“He has brought that aspect, whether it’s Giants of Africa or his work helping to build infrastructure through sport, to bringing sport into this, and really working with the many of the communities in Africa to educate. So it’s hugely important to me and our organization. It makes us all stand taller when we can get behind the work that Masai does off the court. We’re very proud of it.”
Josh Lewenberg: Bobby Webster on Masai Ujiri’s new deal: “It was good timing (after) losing the legend Lowry but keeping another Raptor legend in Masai. I always felt like he was coming back… There was no letdown from him (after the season).”
Raptors officially announce new deal with Masai Ujiri
Doug Smith: Larry Tanenbaum on Masai Ujiri: “Great sportsmen impact their games. Great leaders impact their communities. Masai Ujiri does both.”
Masai Ujiri: I love being the leader of the Raptors and I'm here to stay
Masai Ujiri remaining with Raptors, to become team's Vice Chairman and President
Adrian Wojnarowski: ESPN Sources: Masai Ujiri – architect of the 2019 champions– has agreed to a significant new deal to become Vice Chairman and President of the Toronto Raptors. Ujiri continues as both Raptors top basketball/business executive and a global philanthropist through his Giants of Africa.
Masai Ujiri deal with Raptors expected to get done
While he’s yet to sign a new deal with Raptors owners Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment or – conversely — indicate that’s he’s leaving after a spectacular, franchise-changing nine-year run, Ujiri has been doing what he always does in the build-up to the draft – eyeing talent, working the phones, laying out scenarios for free agency and beyond. “He’s working like someone whose team’s problems are his to fix. He’s all in on the draft, he’s looking at free agency,” said one player agent. “He’s coming back.”
Ujiri was giving observers a similar impression while at the NBA draft combine in Chicago recently. “He was acting like the president of the Raptors at the combine and on a mission to win another title,” said another.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t some doubts about his future. Until the deal is done, there will be concern at MLSE about being able to keep Ujiri, who is as closely identified with the franchise as any player in almost any market. Talks are ongoing, led by MLSE chairman and minority owner Larry Tanenbaum, although all the elements of the ownership group are represented.
Once again, Ujiri remaining in Toronto is the most likely scenario. “It’s moving slowly, but it’s moving,” said one source of Ujiri’s talks with MLSE.
It’s not that ownership doesn’t see it in the same way – “They love him, and they believe in him … he’s won them a championship and they believe he’s going to win them some more,” was how one source close to MLSE put it to me back in May – but a deal as big as Ujiri’s likely will end up being can have ripple effects in an organization that owns two other professional teams and is owned by a pair of publicly traded companies.
They can’t just be seen as randomly giving money or control away. But the expectation is that Ujiri will get the deal he wants and deserves, sooner than later. “The richest deal for a president/general manager in team sports history,” said one source.
His relationship with Tanenbaum is strong, and they communicate regularly; his connection with Toronto is real; his job offers both opportunity and flexibility to pursue other passions close to him, such as his foundation work in Africa; and the Raptors are determined to keep him. “There is nothing he can get somewhere else he can’t get here,” said the source close to MLSE. “His family loves Toronto. Toronto loves Masai. They’re going to pay him a lot of money. Like, why would he [leave]?”
It’s widely believed the NBA will expand for the first time since rounding out to 30 teams in 2004 partly to recoup losses from the pandemic. Returning to Seattle as part of the process is almost a given (with Las Vegas as the other likely city) now that the arena issues that led to the Supersonics leaving for Oklahoma City in 2008 have been resolved. “If there is expansion, he’s definitely going to get his opportunities,” said one league insider.
Ownership, maybe? That’s the peak of the NBA food chain and something that is unlikely to be available with MLSE given the breadth of properties it includes, and the complexities of the ownership structure that has two public companies as primary shareholders. A deal can be structured to mimic shareholder value, according to sources, but actually having equity in an enterprise worth multiple billions is unlikely.
Josh Lewenberg: Lowry on Masai Ujiri: “I told him part of the reason I’m still here is because of him. So his decision will factor into (my decision). I want him to get what he deserves. He’s the best out there… He will get his payday and it’s well deserved and well earned.”
Raptors keeping Masai Ujiri?
There is a mounting confidence that there is a clear path for Ujiri’s return, and there will be a good-faith negotiation to find common ground on a deal that will extend the Raptors president’s tenure with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment from eight years until as far into the future as he wants to stay. It’s not like MLSE has a plan B to replace the person more tightly woven into the fabric of the franchise than any player. Their position is straightforward. There are no tactics or posturing. “They love him, and they believe in him,” said a source close to the MLSE board. “He’s won them a championship and they believe he’s going to win them some more.”
Can a deal be done? Optimism is increasing. “Masai doesn’t share a lot; he’s very private and strategic in his own way,” said the source close to MLSE. “But if you were asking ‘Are they going to sign Masai?’ I would put it at 95 per cent yes.”
He’s been more active communicating with players, both in-person and via text, according to another source. Certainly those that have gone to battle with him want to stay the course. “He’s been the focal point of everything that’s Toronto Raptors ever since I’ve been here. Kyle Lowry is obviously the greatest Raptor of all time, and No. 2 might be Masai,” Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet said on Sunday.
Josh Lewenberg: Nurse on Ujiri’s Raptors future: “I’ll let him answer those questions. All I know is that I think we make a really good team and I hope that team stays intact and I enjoy working for him every day.”
Josh Lewenberg: VanVleet on Masai: “He’s shown no signs of anything else other than commitment towards us throughout this entire year… Contracts are contracts and you’ve gotta negotiate, so we’ll see where he ends up going forward and hopefully it’s back with us.”
Raptors owner to meet with Masai Ujiri next week
Larry Tanenbaum’s long-standing premise — that Masai Ujiri isn’t going anywhere — won’t be dealt with in any way until after this Raptors irregular season ends on Sunday. Tanenbaum, the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., admitted Monday in a rare e-mail exchange that “Masai and I agreed months ago that we would sit down after the season has concluded to address his contract.”
In the meantime, Tanenbaum, who also serves without much notice as chairman of the board of the NBA, has been impressed with how the Raptors have handled this season under troubling circumstances. “I’m not sure the league will ever see a more challenging and defining year like the one we’ve just experienced,” he wrote in his e-mail. “The pandemic was incredibly difficult for all teams, with constantly changing circumstances and protocols, but the challenges the Raptors faced were unprecedented.”
Larry Tanenbaum: “We couldn’t be more proud of the way every member of the organization met those challenges. They all made massive sacrifices personally to move to Tampa, to do everything asked of them to make this season possible.”
Masai Ujiri an option for an NBA expansion franchise?
Like Lowry, Ujiri has been regarded by fans and the organization as Raptors royalty since the team’s championship run in 2018-19. It is widely presumed in league circles that only an overwhelming offer in a highly desirable market could lure him away from the influence and affection he has amassed in Toronto. Yet these many months without a deal and Webster’s rising profile as a natural successor have raised the question: How much longer will Ujiri be running the Raptors?
Some around the league, though, have wondered about a potential down-the-road option that does not yet exist. The group heading expansion efforts in Seattle features the longtime sports executive Tim Leiweke, who brought Ujiri to Toronto for the 2013-14 season.
According to league sources, Ujiri’s lack of an extension is a notable non-event. Ujiri’s name has long been linked to just about any team looking for a top executive. And … are the 17-18 Raptors contenders?
Opposing executives are watching the trade deadline as a sign of Ujiri’s future. If he’s sticking around for the long haul, the guess is that he will make big trades to make the team younger.
Masai Ujiri working on final year of contract
Raptors agree to extension with general manager Bobby Webster
Michael Grange: Raptors GM Bobby Webster has signed a mult-year contract extension with the club, per team release.
Masai Ujiri not in a rush to sign an extension
Ujiri is a pending free agent again. His eighth season with the team is also the final year of his current contract, and all signals are that he is in no rush to sign an extension. The people he works for? They would have signed him yesterday if they could. “I can promise you, it’s not [MLSE],” said a source with knowledge of the ownership’s thinking. “They’d have to be nuts not to [want to sign him]. It’s not like there’s a Plan A and a Plan B. There’s only Plan A, and it’s him. But he’s a very deliberate guy, and the kind of guy you have to respect his space.”
The two sides haven’t talked in depth about his contract since February, according to sources. “I think there’s just been so much that I know I’ve pushed it out ’til I think we get through a lot of this,” he said Saturday. “There’s just so much going on with this relocation and the focus, and I don’t want to be distracted that way.”
In conversations with other NBA executives and other league insiders, the consensus is his track record — his teams have made 10 consecutive playoff appearances and averaged more than 50 wins — and league-wide profile, combined with the leverage he has, will almost certainly make him the highest-paid executive in the league for now and into the foreseeable future. The bidding will start at $12 million a year.
Eric Koreen: In terms of staff contract extensions, Masai says, “It’s pretty much done.” With Webster: “There’s no issues. I would consider that done soon enough.” Ujiri says with the Tampa move, he hasn’t wanted to focus on his own deal right now.
Josh Lewenberg: Ujiri says extensions for his staff (which presumably includes Webster) are “pretty much done… there’s no issue.” As for his contractual status, Masai says there’s just been so much going on that he’s pushed it back, but indicates that there’s nothing to worry about.
Eric Koreen: Raptors GM Bobby Webster declines comment on his contract status, saying they would say more when they are ready to as an organization. The last time Masai Ujiri spoke to the media, he indicated an extension for Webster was in the process of getting done.
Masai Ujiri: No extension talks with Raptors
Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, who has one year remaining on his contract, on Thursday said he has yet to enter discussions with team ownership about an extension. “No, I haven’t had discussions, and honestly, coming out of this, things are a little raw,” Ujiri said on a conference call with reporters. “I’m going to reflect a little bit, and we will address it when it’s time to address it.”
Ujiri was “super excited” after Nurse, the Coach of the Year this season after winning an NBA title with the Raptors last season, received a multiyear extension last week. Webster also is on the verge of getting an extension, Ujiri said. “The future is bright,” Ujiri said. “But in terms of me, I haven’t had those conversations, and I’ll wait until those happen in the future.”
Marc Stein: The strong rumble in the Bubble was that Toronto was closing in on new long-term deals for president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and GM Bobby Webster as well as coach Nick Nurse … Nurse’s new deal was announced Tuesday … now we await extensions for Ujiri and Webster
Josh Lewenberg: The Raptors have named John Wiggins VP of Organizational Culture and Inclusion. John helped launch Raptors 905 and has been with Toronto’s G League team as their VP. In his new role, he’ll lead a group to address social injustice, inclusion, equality and and political reform.
Marc J. Spears: The Raptors 905 name Courtney M. Charles it’s Vice President of Basketball and Franchise Operations. Charles will oversee business operations, basketball affairs and long-term strategic planning for the NBA G League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors.
James Dolan’s fast pace doesn’t appear to bode well for the candidacy of Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who has been high on the owner’s wish list. According to a source, Dolan has been leery on Ujiri, with the mounds of publicity he has gotten as a candidate and using the Knicks as leverage with Toronto.
The first is one of availability. Is he willing to go and is Toronto willing to let him walk? He’s reportedly under contract through 2020-21, and the Raptors could presumably sign him to an extension if they wished. There is scuttlebutt out there that he’s itching for another challenge and has eyes for a large American market (this point also came up in league circles when the Washington job was open) and that the Raptors’ ownership might be okay letting somebody else pay him an eight-figure salary while they promote GM Bobby Webster.
Besides a lot of money and a lot of freedom, no one knows what Dolan is looking for, although league sources believe Toronto Raptors top executive Masai Ujiri is intrigued with the job and the thought of being wanted by the flagship franchise.
Masai Ujiri eyeing Knicks?
Two longtime Ujiri-watchers whom I trust deeply for their reads on this situation have been telling me since December, when the Knicks fired Coach David Fizdale after a 4-18 start, that Ujiri intends to maneuver his way to the Knicks after his moves helped the Raptors win a championship last season. Both watchers went so far as to proclaim that Ujiri may even try to bring along Bobby Webster, Toronto’s well-regarded general manager.
Some league insiders also have questioned whether Dolan is as all-in on Ujiri as advertised, because of the perception in various corners that the league office (specifically N.B.A. Commissioner Adam Silver) is pushing Ujiri as the ideal candidate to try to rescue the Knicks. Memories of Ujiri famously fleecing the Knicks in the Carmelo Anthony trade when he was in Denver in 2011, and again in the Andrea Bargnani trade in 2013, are likewise described as potential Dolan turnoffs.
But behind Ujiri, Webster has watched, learned — and risen to the point of being a key piece of the Raptors NBA championship. Webster will bristle at that description, but it’s true. If Ujiri is the ship captain, Webster is the navigator. “Bobby is making a lot of the decisions in terms of everything they do,” says one NBA player agent who works closely with the Raptors. “Masai is the lead role and the face of the program, and obviously very involved… but Bobby is the driving force, at least for me, for a lot of the decisions they make.”
Even though Ujiri wanted Webster for his experience with the NBA’s new salary cap rules, Webster wasn’t content with that job alone. He could have done that anywhere — back at the league’s head office, he was basically doing it for every team. If Webster was going to leave New York, he wanted more than a job: he wanted an education. He wanted to learn how a team was run on the inside. He wanted to scout, he wanted to deal with coaches, he wanted to interact with the analytics staff. Ujiri agreed. If Webster provided his salary cap insights, Ujiri assured him that he could work on whatever else he wanted. He even let Webster make up his own job title. He settled on “vice president of basketball management and strategy.”
Raptors owners not worried about Ujiri's future
When asked why a contract extension has not yet been offered, Tanenbaum said the timing wasn’t right. “Masai has a contract that goes for another two years — this season and next season — so there’s really no need at this point (to re-sign him),” he said.
For Tanenbaum, the fevered interest comes with the territory. “He is the best,” said Tanenbaum. “But no team can come to talk to him. That’s tampering. And every owner knows that. Masai is here to stay.”
The Raptors’ ownership, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, could have avoided some of this noise by simply giving Ujiri an extension and a blank cheque this past summer but – contrary to a report that Ujiri turned down an extension – there has never been one been offered, according to sources. Which is understandable in some ways. It’s not like Ujiri’s current deal didn’t have lucrative bonuses tied to winning a title. And in most businesses – even with NBA stars – discussion doesn’t typically begin for extensions until a year before a current deal expires.
There is probably no city in the world that would provide a greater opportunity for Ujiri to further the ambitions of his foundation than New York, where he could walk to the United Nations for lunch and meet potential billionaire donors for breakfast. It’s a global nerve centre for business and politics and it would be impossible for Ujiri to fail to expand his already considerable network there. If his ultimate goal is to further his causes in Africa, New York is a better base to work from. The question, really, is if there is anything MLSE can do to make Ujiri a semi-permanent piece of the Toronto landscape, to make the Knicks or other threats distant or far-fetched?
Dolan had interest in pursuing Ujiri, the former Nuggets GM, after firing Phil Jackson in 2017, but the draft compensation was too large, according to sources. Instead he promoted Mills. There’s speculation Dolan would make another run at Ujiri if he gets a chance. “He’s the best GM in the league, why wouldn’t Dolan be interested if there’s an opening,’’ one NBA source who has spoken to the Knicks said.
While Webster is the only general manager with Asian heritage in a league where fewer than 1 percent of players are Asian, he rejects any notion that he is an outlier. Instead, the easygoing, media-averse executive views his mixed background as a core strength. His exposure to multiple cultures in the small beach town of Kailua, Oahu, honed a work ethic that made him the NBA’s youngest GM, at age 32, when he was promoted in 2017. It also instilled an open-minded philosophy that has helped guide the Raptors through a major transition following Kawhi Leonard’s departure.
“In our household, it was never so explicit: this is Asian, this is white,” Webster said. “There were never limits placed on me. If you’re a white kid, that’s a different experience. If you’re a full Asian kid, you’re like everyone else [in Kailua]. If you’re mixed, you’re cool. We had Jeremy [Lin] on the Raptors and I talk to him a lot. He looks Asian, and [dealing with stereotypes or bias] was much more on someone like him. I don’t think I look super Asian or white. Being both was freeing. Both communities always accepted me. I had the best of both worlds.”
The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have promoted Alex McKechnie to Vice President, Player Health and Performance and signed him to a contract extension. McKechnie joined the Raptors in 2011 to oversees all athletic training, rehabilitation and strength and conditioning for the franchise. He has been part of six NBA championship winning teams and is regarded as an industry leader in core training and movement integration. Prior to coming to Toronto, McKechnie worked for 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, including eight as the athletic performance coordinator.
Ryan Wolstat: Masai: “We got a great deal out of this. We won a championship so we’re happy. Honestly it’s on to the next. This is the NBA and this is how it works out. I always say … you can’t go hide under a table and cry, you know. Honestly I’ve lost no sleep.”
On Tuesday, Ted Leonsis released a statement to The Washington Post in which he shared the plan to take his time in forming the franchise’s new leadership team. Leonsis also denied reports that the Wizards pursued Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri, who constructed the roster that won the NBA championship last week. Tommy Sheppard, who has led the Wizards’ basketball operations on an interim basis for the past 11 weeks, will continue in the role through Thursday’s NBA draft and the start of free agency, which begins June 30.
“We have not commented on the many rumors surrounding potential candidates during this process, but I wanted to make an exception in this case out of respect to the Raptors organization as they celebrate their well-deserved championship,” Leonsis’s statement said. “Any reports that we have interest in Masai Ujiri as a candidate are simply not true, and we have never planned in any way to ask for permission to speak to him during our process.”
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Friday morning it is pursuing a misdemeanor complaint against Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri for battery of a police officer after an altercation following Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, a spokesman for the department told USA TODAY Sports. Ujiri is accused of twice shoving an officer and striking him in the face after he was stopped from coming onto the court to join the Raptors’ postgame celebration at the Golden State Warriors’ Oracle Arena because he did not display a proper credential, according to police. Video of the aftermath of that incident was captured by NBC Bay Area, which was the first to report the complaint against Ujiri.
Ujiri appears to be holding a credential in his right hand in the video, and he also appears to be holding a credential in the same hand in a video that shows him watching the end of the game from the tunnel — before the incident occurred. However, per NBA rules, only personnel with specially designated gold armbands were allowed on the court after the conclusion of the game, and it’s unclear if Ujiri was wearing one or had one in his possession. “We were told to strictly enforce the credentialing policy and not allow anyone onto the court without a credential, so our deputies were doing that,” Sgt. Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, said. “Our deputy contacted Mr. Masai Ujiri as he attempted to walk onto the court. He had no credential displayed, and our deputy asked for his credential.
Although an offer worth $10 million annually would place Ujiri among the league’s highest-paid executives, The Athletic previously reported that Ujiri’s decision likely would not come down to money. Raptors ownership, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, is loaded with revenue and could certainly increase Ujiri’s salary, which is somewhere in the $6 million to $7 million range currently, according to sources. “I know Masai. Masai is like my son. There’s no chance he’s leaving Toronto,” MLSE owner Larry Tanenbaum told reporters shortly after the conclusion of the Finals. “You can ask him that one, too. I know Masai.” Tanenbaum continued when asked what he would have to do to keep Ujiri: “I think if you asked Masai, he has everything he wants,” he said. “If you ask him, I think he’d say that. I know he’s here.”
The Wizards would, of course, have the issue of compensation. The Raptors made it clear it would take multiple first-rounders to land Ujiri when he semi-flirted with the Knicks a few years back, according to sources familiar with the situation. Would it take that this time? And if compensation is large enough, would the appeal of the job wane? The one thing the Wizards’ job has going for it on the basketball side, other than having Bradley Beal under contract for two more years, is that the team has all of its first-rounders. Technically, by the way, Toronto wouldn’t even need to grant Washington permission to speak with Ujiri, since he has two years remaining on his contract, per sources.
If Ujiri says no to the job, league sources believe Wizards VP of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard, who has been running the team in the interim since former president of basketball ops Ernie Grunfeld got fired 10 weeks ago, would be the favorite to land it, though it’s possible he doesn’t receive a long leash. One possibility would be Sheppard continuing to run the team with an interim tag on him, league sources believe. In that situation, he and the Wizards could decide a predetermined date to reevaluate his position. Another option could be him working the 2019-20 season on a one-year deal and then revisiting his job status next spring or summer.
The Wizards are preparing a six-year, $60 million offer for Raptors president Masai Ujiri, sources tell The Athletic’s Fred Katz and David Aldridge. Washington has been waiting on Ujiri since mid-May and did not want to make an official run at him until the Raptors’ playoff run ended. Owner Ted Leonsis plans to request permission from Toronto sometime soon. The Raptors won their first title in franchise history when they defeated the Warriors 114-110 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.
Although an offer worth $10 million annually would place Ujiri among the league’s highest-paid executives, The Athletic previously reported that Ujiri’s decision likely would not come down to money. Raptors ownership, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, is loaded with revenue and could certainly increase Ujiri’s salary, which is somewhere in the $6 million to $7 million range currently, according to sources.
And then a reporter brought up the Wizards rumour. “I know Masai. Masai is like my son,” Tanenbaum said. “There’s no chance he’s leaving Toronto. You can ask him that one, too. I know Masai. … I think if you asked Masai, he has everything he wants. “We built a championship team together. What more could you want?”
Michael Grange: MLSE owner Larry Tanenbaum when asked about @wojespn report that Wizards owner @TedLeonsis is attempting to recruit Masai Ujiri with a $10-million a year offer and an ownership stake:
Ryan Wolstat: Masai Ujiri: “we have the best ownership in the NBA.”
The Washington Wizards are preparing to offer Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri a deal that could approach $10 million annually and deliver him the opportunity for ownership equity, league sources tell ESPN. Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is expected to reach out to Toronto ownership soon to request formal permission to meet with Ujiri and offer a staggering financial package that would include running the Wizards basketball operations and, perhaps, taking on a larger leadership role in the Monumental Sports and Entertainment company that oversees the Wizards and NHL’s Capitals, league sources said.
Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is expected to reach out to Toronto ownership soon to request formal permission to meet with Ujiri and offer a staggering financial package that would include running the Wizards basketball operations and, perhaps, taking on a larger leadership role in the Monumental Sports and Entertainment company that oversees the Wizards and NHL’s Capitals, league sources said.
David Aldridge: As @FredKatz reported for @TheAthleticDC June 5, “Sources from around the NBA believe the team is waiting on Raptors president Masai Ujiri…The Wizards are most likely waiting until after the NBA Finals to do so.” Those sources believe Wiz will offer Ujiri up to six years/$60M.
Tim Bontemps: Masai on making the NBA Finals: “Its surreal. But when you put the team together, you dream of an NBA championship … the trade was hard, but we knew the kind of player (in Kawhi) we were getting. … I think we were positive about this kind of moment. I know I dreamt of it.”
“I would not dispel those Masai rumors about the Wizards,” Brady told The Sports Junkies Tuesday. “There’s a lot of people here that are stuck in the moment, trying to enjoy the moment. But I think there’s every chance that Masai Ujiri’s running your team, the Wizards, next season. I think that’s a reasonable possibility.”
What Ujiri will talk about is Africa, specifically the dramatic, widening impact of Africa in the NBA. As the NBA continues to expand its borders, the road from Africa to the United States has become a well-paved superhighway, thanks in large part to people such as Ujiri and Amadou Fall, the godfather of African basketball. This has been the good news of the current NBA season and a point of pride for Ujiri. “I’m proud of where the game is going and the impact it’s having on the continent,” Ujiri said before Game 5 between Toronto and Milwaukee. “African players continue to grow and perform on the big stage. The NBA has taken huge steps to make progress on the continent.”
Fall, the NBA Africa vice president and managing director for Africa, said Ujiri is a living example of using the game. “You can be in the NBA in other ways, and I think Masai in the NBA is the biggest of all those,” Fall said from his office in Johannesburg. “He is running one of the best franchises in the league, and coming back every summer to give back, inspiring the next generation.” Fall added, “The stage and the platform Masai has is so special. I’m proud that he’s really doing his absolute best to give back and to grow the game, and to contribute to the efforts to grow Africa beyond just basketball.”
Wizards interested in Masai Ujiri
There’s a new name generating whispers among league sources: Toronto’s Masai Ujiri. The Raptors president, considered one of the NBA’s top front office minds, is intrigued by the idea of moving to Washington, multiple sources tell NBC Sports Washington.
Consider Ujiri a significant long shot despite his attraction to the market, which comes in part to viewing Washington as a larger platform for the “Basketball Without Borders” program. Ujiri serves as director of the program that sponsors various basketball camps and coaching clinics in his native Africa. His wife also grew up in the D.C. area. Ujiri, 48, joined Toronto in 2013 and signed an extension in 2016. The Raptors are unlikely to let Ujiri interview for any current opening, including the Lakers’, according to a league source. The Los Angeles position opened when Magic Johnson abruptly resigned during the final week of the regular season, but the Lakers are not expected to fill the vacancy.
Jon Horst, Masai Ujiri top candidates for Executive of the Year
The votes for Executive of the Year are in. Unlike the other major awards, it is not voted on by the media but instead by the teams themselves. Each team gets one vote and you can’t vote for yourself. It’s a bit of a complicated award as often it’s a product of moves over multiple seasons that typically earn peer recognition. Milwaukee Bucks GM Jon Horst, who is in only his second season, and Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri are expected to be two of the top candidates. Both oversaw wide-ranging changes to upgrade their teams, changing coaches and core players.
September 26, 2021 | 12:48 pm EDT Update
Ja Morant: 'I'm a Top 5 point guard'
Where do you feel you rank among the top point guards in the game? Ja Morant: Top 5. If you’re Top 5, who else is there with you? Ja Morant: Morant: Steph (Curry). I’m a big Chris Paul fan. I’d say Dame (Lillard) and (Russell) Westbrook. It’s tough. The point guard position is so loaded. Some guys have to get left out.
Your teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr., was the No. 2 breakout player, according to a poll of 15 NBA executives I did for HoopsHype. What do you expect from a healthy Jaren this season? Ja Morant: To me, personally, I think he’s No. 1 if he’s healthy. He’s been battling some injuries that set him back. A healthy Jaren is definitely the number one breakout player this season. He’s just a special talent that’s gifted. He’s 7-foot-1, can shoot the three, can put it on the floor, and can play inside. He does so much on the floor. As long as he stays healthy, which we need him to be, he’s definitely number one.
What do you think of Dillon Brooks as a defender and as a player overall for this team? Ja Morant: Dillon is an important piece to this team offensively and defensively. I’ve been saying a lot now that I feel like he doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his defense, especially against some of the top guys. Some of them probably won’t admit it, but I feel like most of the games when they struggled, Dillon was guarding them. Soon, that’ll come that he gets his respect for that. Offensively, how he’s able to score the ball from all three levels is big-time for us.
Speaking of locker rooms, what are the expectations in the locker room for the Grizzlies this season? Where do you guys think you can compete on what type of level? Ja Morant: I feel like we can compete with the top teams in this league. We all have that mindset, and this chip on our shoulder we go out and play with each and every night. Now, it’s continuing to buy in and keep gelling as a team and getting better with chemistry. Having more guys step up and talk who’ve been in the game for a while to help the young guys come along. Our goal this year is to continue to be better in all areas and better than we were last year.
Granted, all of that stuff is a lot easier to say in the offseason than it is to actually feel when a player is on the outside looking in. But while it could just be a bunch of PR-friendly cliches being spewed, this team also really could be that committed to winning. Ellington certainly thinks so, and during a recent appearance on BallIsLife’s “Noble and Roosh Show,” he also outlined a few other reasons he thinks guys will be all right with not playing as much as they have in the past: “I think we have one of the older rosters, so I think guys are able to be mature about that. We understand that everybody’s not going to be able to play 30 minutes a game, so there’s going to be sacrifice. There’s going to be sacrifices that need to be made, and I think that’s part of the understanding. “But also, understanding that with the older roster, guys aren’t going to be able to play. Guys aren’t going to play every single game. I think you’re going to see sometimes guys get rested and that’s where the ‘Next Man Up’ mentality comes into play.”
It’s why he also likes that the team made sure to add a few younger players as well: “I think it’s a great combination, man, of basketball IQ, championship experience, hunger with the guys wanting more. You got a mix of guys that haven’t won championships who are hungry for championships. You got some young guys in Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, THT, you got some young guys that are dogs. I think it’s a great mix of veterans and some mid guys and some young guys. I think the roster was constructed beautifully.”
Jonathan Isaac: Misrepresentation only allows for others to attack straw men, and not reason with the true ideas and heart of their fellow man. It helps no one! True journalism is dying! I believe it is your God given right to decide if taking the vaccine is right for you! Period! More to follow
