Why did the Raptors part ways with Masai Ujiri?
Why did the Raptors part ways with Masai Ujiri?
Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor and contributor Tom Haberstroh dissect Toronto's 'strange' decision to fire its president the day after the 2025 Draft. Hear the full conversation on 'The Kevin O'Connor Show' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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The day after the draft, the Toronto Raptors fire Masiauiri, who of course has been there over a decade at this point, won a championship in 2019.
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He had one year left on his contract, so for this to happen today is crazy timing, Tom.
My understanding is that Raptors ownership, MLSE, they felt like Massai was stretched too thin, with Basketball Without Borders, his nonprofit giants of Africa.
I just think it shows a lot of dysfunction for him to actually be fired the morning after the draft.
I think it's weird, Tom, what are your initial thoughts on the raptors firing Massa.
He just acquired Brandon Ingram at the trade deadline, a guy who did not play because of an ankle injury since December 7th, and then resigned him to a contract extension with a lot of that trade package was from the Pascal C. deal.
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By the way, the Pascal Siakam trade I wrote about last year and saying this was a horrible trade.
They got a what I deemed a very poor return for Pascal Siakam.
None of those picks were valuable and even though you can put on the billboard 3 1st round picks, they were, they were late first, almost guaranteed to be late first.
And so I, to me, um, what this says is that as a leader.
Masayuiri lost his way, because what I saw in Pascal Siakam's finals uh press conference when he said I lost the joy.
I, I wrote this down cause I wanted to make sure I had it right.
He said, I'm so glad that the Indiana Pacers traded for me, and quote, it was dark for me, not fun at all playing basketball.
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He found his joy for the game and I lost that for a while.
He's talking about Toronto Raptors.
After winning a championship in 2019 under Massia Uiri's leadership, you're hearing Pascal Siakam, you're seeing that Kawhi Leonard left after winning a championship.
You're seeing that, uh, Serge Ibaka, Fred Van Vleet, Danny Green, Marc Gasol, all left, walked in free agency.
You can see how the post championship regime or the post championship chapter of the Toronto Raptors.
Was really poor and worse yet, a really poor workplace, as you can hear from from Pascal Sciacca.
A lot of mistakes by Massiah Giri in recent years, and so that's why I think, you know, ownership is probably right about certain things with his performance in recent years, ever since the championship, but ownership firing him the day after draft, it's just strange.
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Masai Ujiri out as Raptors president in shocking move days before start of NBA free agency: 'I just fell to my knees'
The Toronto Raptors and longtime team president Masai Ujiri have gone their separate ways. Ujiri was reportedly set to enter the upcoming season in the final year of a five-year contract he signed in 2021. The somewhat shocking move, first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania, comes right before the opening of NBA free agency on Monday and a day after the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Draft. Charania took to X — formerly Twitter — to break the news on Friday morning. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and Masai Ujiri have decided to part ways, as Ujiri was entering the final year of his contract, sources tell ESPN. — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2025 In a statement, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) president and CEO Keith Pelley praised Ujiri for his leadership and for leading the Raptors to their first and only NBA title in 2019. However, he did not get into specifics as to why the move was made, or why it was made now. "During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it," Pelley wrote. "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." The team looking to replace Ujiri is a bit of a surprise. Pelley recently fired Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan back in May and indicated that rather than replacing him, Pelley instead would be working closer with Maple Leafs GM Bred Treliving, who will now report to directly to Pelley. It was widely speculated amongst media pundits and insiders that the same structure would be implemented if a similar move was made with the Raptors. Instead, according to Pelley, general manager Bobby Webster — who reportedly just signed a contract extension — will guide the team into free agency and beyond while Pelley and Co. search for Ujiri's replacement. "We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby [Webster] and his team, is in a great place," Pelley said. "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." Many who have covered the team and are in the know, however, aren't so sure Pelley and MLSE will be replacing Ujiri anytime soon — if at all. Make no mistake, MLSE is in a cost-cutting mode. Not going full scale cheap, but not looking to spend huge money on execs. That's significant part of reason Shanahan and Ujiri are out. — Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) June 27, 2025 Don't be surprised if Bobby Webster is presented with a contract extension. Sense for months has been that MLSE would operate without team presidents. And then it began: Bill Manning the first to go (Argos/TFC), then Shanahan, now Ujiri. Those roles unlikely to be replaced. — Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) June 27, 2025 Masai Ujiri is out as president and heart and soul of the Toronto Raptors. This is a large mistake by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. You don't find people of this quality often. — Steve Simmons (@simmonssteve) June 27, 2025 The parent company of the Raptors, Maple Leafs, Toronto Argonauts, Toronto FC and others has brought out the axe in recent months, discarding every major team president and cutting nearly 10 per cent of its workforce since Rogers Communications became MLSE majority owner in a deal approved earlier this month worth $4.7 billion. The firing of Ujiri in particular, especially the strange timing of it, shocked many Raptors fans and media pundits who took to social media to express their disbelief. I just fell to my knees at Tim Hortons over this Masai Ujiri Raptors news — tigallo (@soulqrn) June 27, 2025 This was about 60 hours ago, with Masai Ujiri welcoming Collin Murray-Boyles to Toronto. Surprising timing, to say the — Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) June 27, 2025 We knew this was coming.. however it's the timing that throws it off. Ujiri was the last standing team president at MLSE. — Kayla Grey (@Kayla_Grey) June 27, 2025 Wait why would the Raptors get rid of Masai Ujiri the day AFTER the draft? As a former employee of MLSE (Leafs and Raptors) there's a larger story here I'll bet you anything and leave it at that. — Julian (@julians_world) June 27, 2025 As everyone is saying the timing of this doesn't make sense. Concerned about the direction MLSE (Rogers) is taking our sports teams 🤔Thank you Masai Ujiri for giving our city a championship team that wewill always celebrate and be proud of. #WeTheNorth #LTL1917 — LadiesTalkinLeafs (@LTL1917) June 27, 2025 James Dolan-level incompetence by MLSE is my initial reaction. The timing and manner of firing Masai Ujiri is bad and incompetent, on top of the actual firing being a bad move. Nepo baby Ed Rogers' hands are all over this, trust. — Late stage capitalism hater 🇨🇦 (@CanadaFirst25) June 27, 2025 Not entirely surprising given Ujiri's contractual situation and the recent changes atop MLSE, but very strange timing; the morning after the draft. — Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) June 27, 2025 There's got to be more to this Masai Ujiri story the timing is just too wild — KEV. (@bucklezzzman) June 27, 2025 As the dust settled on the shock factor and the odd timing of it all, many Raptors fans took to social media to give Ujiri his flowers and praise the man who oversaw, by far, the greatest decade-plus in franchise history. The Raptors posted an exceptional 545-419 record under Ujiri since 2013-14, which is the fifth-best in the mark in the NBA over that time, according to Sportsnet, and of course helped secure the team's first and only NBA championship in 2019. The team also hit the 50-wins five times during Ujiri's 12 seasons with the club and qualified for the NBA layoffs in eight of those campaigns. Though success in recent years has been waning, it was an absolutely legendary run for arguably the best executive in the history of Toronto professional sports. No sports exec (in my lifetime) has the recognition, respect and approval rating that Masai Ujiri has in Toronto. Unsure that's ever going to change — Armen Zargarian (@armenzarg) June 27, 2025 When you think about how basketball has grown so much in Canada, Masai Ujiri will go down in the history books for playing a massive part in that. The Toronto Raptors were a laughing stock for years and he helped change that. Salute to him. — Libaan Osman (@libaanstar1) June 27, 2025 thank u Masai Ujiri for bringing opportunities to those around the world to join our league, u rlly made a difference in basketball and im srry for blaming u for everything all the time even when i stubbed my toe on that corner yesterday that was totally not ur fault — char (@govassignedgoth) June 27, 2025 An image that felt impossible when Masai Ujiri joined the RaptorsThe end of an era 🙏 — Jacob Gramegna (@jacob_gramegna) June 27, 2025 Ujiri turned the Raptors into a world-class organization, shifting the way teams/players/fans view Toronto. But his legacy is the way he changed how this market views itself. His pride/passion for team/city/country. How he lifted it up. We The North. Thats how he'll be remembered — Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) June 27, 2025 No one person in history of the franchise did more to legitimize the Toronto Raptors as an organization than Masai changed the culture, embraced Toronto and gave a city so desperate for a winner the championship that eluded them for nearly 30 will be missed. — Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) June 27, 2025 End of an era, thank you Masai 2019 forever — kishan (@_kishanmistry) June 27, 2025 End of an era. Thank you, Masai — Matt Tierney (@Tierchild) June 27, 2025 Impossible to overstate what Masai means to the city. We achieved heights I literally did not think were possible as the lone Canadian franchise in the NBA. I don't know if we'll ever have another leader as impressive and passionate to represent us as him. Can't thank him enough. — K. –– Free Iran (@ThatPersianGuy) June 27, 2025 Ujiri was hired as Raptors vice-president and general manager back in 2013 to replace the maligned Bryan Colangelo and immediately helped turn the team into a consistent threat in the Eastern Conference with the team qualifying for the postseasons in seven straight seasons between 2013 and 2020. Ujiri was promoted to team president in 2016 and Webster took over the GM role in 2017. Ujiri's most notorious move was the infamous trade in the summer of 2018 that brought superstar Kawhi Leonard to the organization in exchange for franchise legend DeMar DeRozan — essentially paving the way for Toronto's championship run that same season. It's expected Ujiri will be coveted by plenty of NBA organizations and likely won't be out of work for long if he so chooses.
