In a bit of a shocking move, the Raptors fired lead executive Masai Ujiri on Friday, following the NBA Draft. Ujiri has long been regarded as one of the best executives in the NBA after helping build the Nuggets’ championship squad, then going to Toronto, where he aggressively traded for Kawhi Leonard and brought a title to Toronto.
But things have stagnated, and the Raptors have been mired in mediocrity for several years without any clear direction. The new ownership group in Toronto has clearly seen enough, and after Ujiri drafted yet another big wing with the team’s 9th overall pick in Collin Murray-Boyles, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Group decided to pull the plug.
Raptors’ GM Bobby Webster was extended, and the rest of the Raps’ front office will remain in place, but they’ll move forward without their leader for the first time in 13 years. Ultimately, Ujiri doomed himself by falling in love with a player prototype - big wings - and overloading the roster with players who fit this mold. CMB was the final straw as the team is now filled with wings, short on guards, and big men.
If Nuggets waited, Ujiri could have returned to Denver
Ujiri will now be one of the hottest names on the market in terms of front office hires. He has had interest from multiple teams in recent seasons, trying to lure him away from Toronto, including Atlanta in recent weeks.
But now, the hiring cycle is basically over, and Masai is left without a job, as there are no open jobs on the market. He can take his time and be selective about his next job, but his name will certainly be hanging over every front office job that opens up. Perhaps he’ll work on TV and take his time to find the job of his dreams (a la Bob Myers).
The timing begs the question: What would have happened if the Nuggets had just waited a week longer? They dragged out their hiring process for two months before announcing Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer to run the front office jointly just days before the NBA Draft.
There was much speculation as to what was taking the Nuggets so long to act, and many believed they were waiting on a big fish like Myers or Ujiri. But that ultimately proved not to be the case. However, if Ujiri had been made available while the Nuggets still had an opening, would they have pounced?
We may never know, but it’s impossible not to wonder if there is some internal regret with the Kroenkes and the rest of the Nuggets’ brass. Bringing Ujiri back to Denver in order to steward over the end of Jokic’s prime would have been a big splash move that would have excited the fanbase, but there’s no real proof that he has been an elite roster builder in the past five years.
It’s fascinating timing, and a great “what if?” for the Nuggets and other teams, but things didn’t work out, and both sides will move on.