The Toronto Raptors will enter a brand new period within the 2025-26 NBA season, one the place Masai Ujiri received’t be current.
In 2013, Masai Ujiri had simply received the NBA’s Government of the 12 months award with the Denver Nuggets. Regardless of that, he left the franchise.
As a substitute, he signed with the Toronto Raptors, and after a 12-year stint, the franchise has determined to half methods with Ujiri.
There are rumors about Ujiri’s subsequent NBA group amid the sudden exit. Moreover, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst speculated on the rationale behind Ujiri’s firing. Now, one other has shared his two cents on the identical.
Ujiri will all the time maintain a particular place within the hearts of Raptors followers as he constructed the group’s 2019 NBA Championship-winning roster.
Nonetheless, since then, the Raptors have struggled to compete within the Japanese Convention. They did commerce for Brandon Ingram final season to construct a brand new core, however that transfer reportedly backfired for Ujiri.
“What I used to be informed was that plenty of the exterior candidates that got here in actually, actually pushed again on a number of the strikes that Masai and firm remodeled the previous few years.
“One in all them went so far as calling the Ingram commerce a determined Hail Mary, and that’s not shocking, proper?” Raptors insider Josh Lewenberg stated on TSN’s Overdrive.
The Raptors have promoted common supervisor Bobby Webster to the brand new president of basketball operations. Lewenberg defined how Webster is completely different than his predecessor.
“The place I do count on to see some modifications, or at the least some variations, is a whole lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff that may not be mirrored within the roster, within the sense that whereas their imaginative and prescient won’t be completely completely different, these are two very, very completely different individuals,” he said.
Regardless of Webster being Ujiri’s first govt rent for the Raptors, the 2 reportedly have polar reverse approaches by way of their method to basketball.
Per Lewenberg, it’s imminent with Webster and Ujiri’s personalities as effectively.
“Like, Masai’s, you already know, larger-than-life persona and persona. Bobby’s not that man, and I don’t essentially imply that that’s a nasty factor.
I feel he’s extra understated, down-to-earth, actually simpler to narrate with. However Masai, I imply, over time, he grew to become a celeb, and I feel there are simply sure issues that go along with that,” Lewenberg continued.
Whereas Webster doesn’t possess a flashy persona, that doesn’t imply he’s any much less revered by his friends.
“Whereas Bobby, like, he can costume down, he’s nonetheless younger sufficient to narrate to a whole lot of the gamers and followers and simply individuals round.
“Like, he can chop it up with anyone. Whereas he may placed on the go well with, and he’s extremely regarded and revered by his friends. I feel he’s proven over time,” the Raptors insider concluded.
