Who’s READY to Take the REINS as Next Toronto Raptors President?

Who’s READY to Take the REINS as Next Toronto Raptors President?

messiah Jury is out but team building still continues for the Toronto Raptors Who could be the next president of basketball operations for the franchise what’s going on everybody esparini here Yes I got the wine glass out right now because uh post free agency you know need a second to relax need a second to cool down Cheers with me if y’all uh if y’all are out there Um look honestly I don’t expect the Toronto Raptors to be active Uh you know they only have one roster spot maybe two if you don’t think Jameson Battle is going to make the team And I’ve I’ve sort of tweeted that about this multiple times where he has $997,000 of his $1.97 million guaranteed for next season already which gives him a leg up compared to everybody else to make the roster and earn that 14th spot Michael Graange just reported that uh Garrett Temple will be returning next season on that veteran minimum veteran minimum contract Uh and so the Raptors have one roster spot left What they did last year was they kept that roster spot open until training camp brought in a bunch of exhibit 10’s Um you know they obviously brought in Bruno Fernando as you remember uh and they kind of filtered through a bunch of people a bunch of players to be able to see who that 15 spot can be My guess is they do that unless there’s someone else that jumps the line here I know Michael Grange also reported Ben Simmons as a potential possibility for them as sort of backup five Um you know looking at the free agency market right now truthfully uh it’s kind of surprising to me that the Raptors have not been able to get in on any of these conversations I saw like Mason Plumbley went for the minimum here for Charlotte Uh Trenan Watford went for you know two years $5 million Not to say that like not all of these are dependent on money you know some of it depends on fit some of it depends on opportunity etc etc But um it is a little surprising to me that they haven’t found a backup big That being said we still got a little bit of time Maybe the Raptors have something up their sleeves Maybe there’s a trade Maybe there’s extensions They still have Yaka Purle and Oiabaji that they uh got to extend or might extend So we’ll see what happens on that front But what I wanted to talk about today was who could be the next president of basketball operations Um they have a long search ahead of them I imagine they take their time Keith Py mentioned that uh CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment We’ll see how long it takes They’re using uh the Creative Artist Agency and their executive search to be able to do that Does it mean that they’re going to bring someone in from CAA not necessarily sure maybe potentially that honestly just like Jameson Battle they might have a leg up if you’re from CIA Now if you go to CIA’s website uh they don’t list everybody they’ve represented or they do represent there are a couple names on there Grant Hill you know Elton Brand uh people will bring up Bob Meyers Uh and I wanted to go through a couple of names that I had thought of along with some names that have been reported here for Michael Graange and just sort of talk through our options because I think it’s an interesting time for the Toronto Raptors I also think it puts them in a in a small state of limbo where obviously the Raptors have everybody in place but at the same time if something does come up is there this sort of chain of command if you will for them to process a trade or process a transaction or whatever uh I imagine you know Bobby Webster has full go-ahhead to do whatever is required for the team But if it’s something bigger like a trade of a core piece or uh something along the lines of that or maybe an extension I do wonder if they wait for the president of basketball operations to be there That being said um everything is very fluid right now for the Toronto Raptors Bobby Webster’s contract is only until 2026 2027 so there’s that uh element to it too And I would say the number one contender for the president of basketball operations for these Toronto Raptors is Bobby Webster uh he clearly has been groomed for this position from Messiah Jury uh to be this guy and to me uh he’s developed a connection with tons of people in the league Uh I think you can you know as much as people talk about Kauaii you know Messiah being the architect for the Kauaii trade um a lot of people also credit Bobby Webster and rightfully so uh he was someone who was instrumental to trading for Kauaii uh he was also instrumental in a lot of the moves that the Raptors have made post Kawaii and so uh you know Messiah gets a lot of blame for that but also it’s kind of like a team effort there in terms of some of the transactions that they’ve hit on some of the transactions that they missed on so Bobby Webster seems like the clear-cut choice if the Raptors actually believe in the stability that they’ve built if what Keith P is saying in terms of you know they have the roster in place they have the front office in place that’s why they felt comfortable moving off of Messiah which And in the video I made before I labeled that that feels contradictory in a sense that you’re destabilizing regardless by letting go of this president of basketball operations who’s been with your team forever Doesn’t make sense to me to do that That being said if that is their line of thinking then yes promoting Bobby Webster promoting Dan Tolsman who’s the assistant GM right now to general manager uh and you know kind of filling the gaps from there would make a lot of sense So he would be the number one option I think he’s probably the favorite at this point to get the job Now Michael Graange of Sportsnet uh also reported or kind of mentioned a couple of names here Uh Bob Meyers was one of them Obviously he was the architect for the Golden State Warriors He does some uh color and you know broadcast work for ESPN right now Good on the broadcast Um obviously very instrumental in the dynasty that was the Golden State Warriors Now for what it’s worth he’s had offers since he left the Warriors to join front offices I believe he was you know kind of in the running for the Hawks job Um you know he actually I believe he got offered to run the Commanders in the NFL Uh and to me I think that is that is a pipe dream to bring Bob Meyers on board for the Toronto Raptors And the reason I say that is because one you know one of the reasons they didn’t keep Messiah Jerry was the financial elements He was making $15 million a year Bob Myers probably cost just as much You know to convince a guy like Bob Myers to come to Toronto probably cost you just as much Uh and on top of that there’s you know incentives and things like that that he would probably like in his deal which you know you kind of fall back into the boat of Messiah Jury Uh and what is the reason you let go of Messiah in the first place and so I don’t think it’s going to be bomb buyers I think that’s a pipe dream Um Alex Seratus uh I believe that I’m pronouncing that right I apologize if I’m not my Greek folks Um he is the longtime agent for Jiannis Kmpo Obviously tons of intrigue there He was also in the running for the Hawks job Obviously the Hawks have gone a different direction And by the way what a team the Atlanta Hawks are building Big fan of what they’ve done so far in free agency We’ll see if Chris Stops Porzingis can stay healthy etc Again not a Hawks channel Sorry just wanted to mention that Um so Alex would be a very good choice because of the connection to Giannis and Dukmpo He’s obviously an agent so he has connections to players and I think a lot of front officers have gone that direction as well in terms of hiring an agent who has the connection with the players so that there’s kind of this rapport in recruiting in trading in talking to GMs and talking to other agents And so that naturally uh develops a relationship with people that you have around the league And so I I could see that that makes sense to me obviously would be a firsttime president of basketball operations as well and so probably would be a coste effective choice Uh that said you know bringing in a guy who has no real connection with the Toronto Raptors organization uh probably makes it so that Bobby Webster and Dan Tolsman and those folks are not long for the job and so he would probably want to bring his own people in And that adds a whole another level of questions Uh that also applies to a couple of the other people I’m going to bring up here But uh the other one is Mark Eversley He’s obviously a Canadian guy and so that connection is there He’s also the general manager of the Chicago Bulls And truthfully uh despite being Canadian I would stay away from that situation Um I would stay away from anything Bulls related at this point to be honest with you especially when it comes to the front office All respect to Mark Eversley Um again I I I like I want to not be too mean here because truthfully you don’t know who’s making these decisions from the Bulls perspective but the Bulls obviously have not done a good job when it comes to uh transactions trades signings uh decision-m in general direction etc etc And so I’m not necessarily sure if you want to go and post someone from that that’s going on in Chicago Again it could not be Mark Eversley Maybe there’s a rift in the Chicago front office that we don’t know about but I would stay away That’s my decision on Mark Epersley Okay Matt Lloyd uh another person that Michael Grange mentioned obviously highly uh respected guy from the Minnesota Timberwolves Uh obviously very very well regarded Uh kind of a Bobby Webster in his own right in Minnesota Again much like uh Alex Ceratus it kind of you have to bring your own guys in You know Matt Lloyd is clearly like this whiz kid type I think it would make sense At the same time you have to bring in your own kids I think that’s a pretty good choice though I think if that ends up being an option Matt Lloyd that would be an intriguing pick to be honest with you Would watch for that We’ll see if that’s the case though Uh Dwayne Casey Wow that would be quite the change Uh obviously Dwayne Casey as you guys know uh very very important to the Raptors organization Pound the Rock as you know Um truthfully he’s done some executive work with the Detroit Pistons but that was before they brought in uh Trajan Langden who has now sort of rejuvenated what the Pistons are and in terms of team building Uh Casey in terms of a decision maker I think he’s more of a developmental guy And so in some ways he’s similar to Messiah Jury in that realm He’s also a great quote you know he’s he’s kind of exudes aura if you will as as folks like to say as kids like to say aura He’s got the aura you know Um so I could see I actually could see Dwayne Casey because of the connection to the Raptors organization and because it would feel a little bit seamless to do that I think he would be down for that too Maybe that’s a choice Keep that in mind Chad Buchanan he is the general manager of the Indiana Pacers Again I don’t too much don’t know too much other than the fact that you know obviously he is the general manager of the Indiana Pacers one of the orchestrators of a team that just went to the NBA Finals Clearly would be highly sought after Clearly would cost a lot And so we’ll see what happens there Now to my list guys that weren’t mentioned in this article uh that I think could be interesting Number one how about Steve Nash so the pitch here for Steve Nash obviously uh didn’t do a great job coaching in Brooklyn but was a part of the Warriors front office uh for a few years there Uh worked as a development guy and then more of on the business side of things uh you know kind of highlevel stuff which is what the president of basketball operations does He also works for team Canada has worked for team Canada in the bast in the past as a general manager I believe and uh you know kind of like a decision maker for their roster building And so naturally I think there’s a connection between Canada basketball and the Toronto Raptors and Steve Nash and the organization and there’s this cultural thing that obviously applies to Steve Nash in general Uh on top of the fact that he’s just been in mind the game and so he’s kind of in the front of people’s minds Uh and so I think that puts him in a good light when it comes to the rest of the people who are watching this and consuming NBA media Um obviously I think it would mesh well with what the Raptors want to do you know culturally if you will I think he would bring that level of gravitas I think he’s very well respected around the league I think that would make sense Steve Nash is a target That being said uh I have no idea if Steve Nash has interest in being a president of basketball operations He’s obviously done stuff for team Canada He’s done stuff for the Warriors He’s coached with the Brooklyn Nets I don’t think coaching is something he was interested in He had a clip recently saying “Don’t go into coaching.” I don’t think that’s something he wants to do but maybe uh a back-end president of basketball operations role is a little bit different for him to do Would make sense So maybe that’s an option there Another option that I have for you guys and I have a couple here for you Um you know they’ve said Elton Brand is a name that I’ve mentioned and I’ve seen a lot He’s also a CIA client and so that naturally has that connection Elton Brand was with the Philadelphia 76ers Um you know doesn’t have the greatest resume with the Sixers truthfully A lot of weird transactions and whatnot but you could see that being uh an option for them if they go the CIA route again a person like Grant Hill or Elton Brand I guess we can kind of put these two guys together And Grant Hill uh USA basketball I believe I I want to say he’s like part owner of the Hawks or has some investment equity in the Hawks And so that’s that’s why I don’t think Grant Hill would be possible But regardless um both those guys would bring in their own people And so that would probably require a change to the front office a change to the organization etc etc Those are the options that I’ve seen so far Um and I’m trying to think if there’s anybody else that I have kind of fresh in mind that would be interesting here I haven’t seen anybody that really jumps to mind People have said Kyle Lowry I don’t think that’s going to be the case here I don’t think he would make sense as president of basketball operations I also don’t think Kyle is in the interest or or is interested at all in doing president of basketball operations work I think he’s more interested in doing coaching if anything uh eventually That was something that I’ve I’ve heard before but that’s that’s kind of a long time from now And also like they could go completely off the board That’s the other aspect of this You know I’ I’ve heard people mention it before I’ve heard fans talk about it in the sense that they want more of a business-minded person instead of someone that’s linked to basketball And in that case I don’t have a list for you you know it could just be some dude you know could just be some person that they found um from a business acumen perspective that they think could you know brighten up the marketing perspective and the brand perspective of the president of basketball operations That said um that would contradict exactly what Keith what Keith Belly said in terms of they want someone to run the basketball side of things Um and I just I don’t I’m not sure That said it’s it’s also like it’s going to be a while I think before we find our answer to this question And truthfully after all of this spiel that I just made to you guys it honestly kind of makes sense that at the end of the day it’s going to be Bobby Webster I could see Steve Nash That feels like a dark horse that I’m intrigued by Uh I would love to hear everybody’s thoughts on that Dwayne Casey seems interesting to me although it would be kind of funny but at the same time it seems interesting Um not the greatest track record as a team builder truthfully But that said like maybe that changes here in Toronto and if you just need like someone with aura as they say Dwayne Casey would make a lot of sense But it’s also hard to find the machinations that work because you know front office stuff is so finicky It’s a lot about personalities It’s a lot about egos It’s a lot about like team building and being a boss you know And truthfully I think like not everybody is built to do that I could tell you right now I am not built to do that I I would not like to be a boss one day Um let me just be me You know what I mean and and so I think it takes a certain level certain type of person to do that Uh and it’s it’s just hard to find that type of person I tweeted about this earlier and I think it is really true But I’ve been thinking about how important Messiah was to like not just the Raptors but to basketball in Canada and the way he changed fans perspective You know the reason so many fans nowadays believe oh my god Giannis is available Oh my god you know KD is available Oh my god Dame is available Oh my god LaMelo is going to be available Jaw’s going to be available Raptors should do this Raptors should do that The reason fans believe now that they have a chance to do that is because of Messiah Jiri And the I mean there’s there’s levels to that but there is an inferiority complex that naturally comes with being a basketball fan in the city of Toronto One you come second to hockey in this city and in this country constantly Turn on the TV it’s hockey You turn on everything it’s hockey hockey comes first over everything in this country uh especially basketball And so you have that bakedin inferiority complex already in your own country in your own city And in the NBA landscape the Raptors are often an afterthought You know I listen to a lot of podcasts I obviously host the one of the podcasts here for the Athletic and here And I I’m aware that the Raptors aren’t the hottest topic in the world That not a lot of people enjoy talking about the Raptors unless something crazy happens like Messiah leaving or a trade happening or something along the lines of that And so like they’re an afterthought even in the NBA at times But Messiah taught folks to believe He taught people and like really helped people buy in to being bigger than what they were And that’s an empowering feeling not only for fans but for people who cover the sport for people who were obviously within their front office You look at countless examples Terresa Rash you know Dan Holesman Bobby Webster I’m assuming tons of other front office people that I don’t know Empowering those people to be bigger than what they were And that is hard to replace And that’s why I think being a boss is a very very specific skill set that man they got to nail this higher you know So yeah we can go through all these options We can go through the Bob Myers of the world and the Steve Nashes and Chad Buchanan and Matt Lloyds and whatnot but above everything else they got to find someone who can empower And that is a very very tall task to do when the guy you just let go is Messiah Jerry Um anyways folks that’s all I got Look the Raptors are going to be pretty quiet moving forward in free agency and and all that stuff Maybe we’ll we’ll talk about some summer league stuff moving forward Um maybe we’ll we’ll hit on some potential trade options and you know free agency options and things like that But for now um gonna be pretty quiet on the Raptors front Very excited for summer league I will see you guys in Las Vegas If you’re in Vegas come say hi That would be great Um that’s it That’s all I got for you guys As always like comment subscribe do the things you guys usually do to get this to other people We appreciate you tapping into Raptors Republic and we will see you guys next time Take care

Masai Ujiri’s presence still lingers but the Raptors have to find a new voice. Es Baraheni goes through the options for President of Basketball Operations.

0:11 – Free agency
3:57 – Bobby Webster
5:40 – Bob Myers
6:46 – Alex Saratsis
8:11 – Marc Eversley
9:00 – Matt Loyd
9:50 – Dwane Casey
10:44 – Chad Buchanan
11:11 – Steve Nash
13:00 – Elton Brand

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