What’s Next For Masai Ujiri After Raptors Breakup?

What’s Next For Masai Ujiri After Raptors Breakup?

The bombshell of the Toronto Raptors offseason wasn’t a superstar acquisition, but rather a seismic loss as the team parted ways with longtime president Messiah Jiri. The news was met with shock north of the border where Ugeri’s 12-year run transformed the Raptors brand and Canadian basketball. It also made him the biggest free agent on the market. The worry for the Raptors is that Ujiri’s departure could impact how Toronto is perceived going forward and whether this derails any future pursuits of Giannis and Terakmpo who has a history with Messiah. Ojiri brought a swagger and legitimacy to the Raptors the franchise could never have dreamed of before him and will be hardressed to replicate without him. When I asked Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Keith P about that, he said the testament to a brand and culture is whether it survives when the person who created it is gone. In other words, if all the good brand and culture work Ujeri did is undone by the new regime, it’s somehow still Messiah’s fault. I do want the credit without any of the blame. In the 18 years preceding UI’s takeover, the Raptors made five playoff appearances and won one series. Toronto then made eight trips to the postseason Unujiri’s first nine years on the job, winning nine playoff series and the 2019 NBA championship in the process after a gutsy trade for a disgruntled and expiring Kawhi Leonard. The immaculate vibes faded over the last 5 years when a displaced pandemic season in Tampa Bay delivered lottery luck and franchise star Scotty Barnes. It seemed Dujir’s Raptors would seamlessly transition from one successful era to another. But it wasn’t to be. and Messiah’s front office must own that. Along the way, Toronto moved or lost the last remnants of its championship core, punctuated by a pennies on the dollar trade of Pascal Seakkum to Indiana. Now, as the dust settles on that transaction, the Raptors can say they turned an expiring Seakkum into Jacobe Walter, Oayagbaji, and Brandon Ingram, the latter of whom Toronto traded for and extended at this year’s deadline. The deal for Ingram was defensible, but equally baffling, emblematic of the murkiness that came to define the final years of Ugjiri’s tenure. All of which is to say, it’s fair to question the Raptor’s current direction and Ujiri’s recent track record. But MLSC was the only one who didn’t believe he’d eventually figure things out. Raptors fans had an almost unwavering faith in the man who told them to believe in themselves, their city, and their country despite the inferiority complex that comes with being the NBA’s lone team outside the US. Who could blame them? After Ujiri delivered on his promise while rallying Canadians around a we the north battlecry. But we wanted to win in Toronto and we have won in Toronto. Yeah. Now, it’s no coincidence MLSC’s crisis of faith coincided with Ed Rogers Jr. gaining more control of the enterprise. It’s also telling that the Maple Leafs are progressing without a president of hockey operations for the time being, while the search for a Raptors president is already underway and the rest of the front office has been retained. That means it’s not necessarily the role of team president that Rogers and MLSC found dispensable, but Ugeri himself. Whatever their next move is, they better hope it’s the type of home run only Messiah has ever consistently hit for the franchise. But what about Ujiri’s next move? Between his political connections and Giants of Africa Foundation, Messiah can certainly move on to something bigger than basketball. However, in a stirring tribute to Toronto after his ouster, he spoke of pursuing a second championship. A few franchises come to mind. First, the Lakers. Rob Pelinka has fallen ass backwards into some transcendent talents, but he’s no eugiri as an overall team builder. The Lakers are no longer a familyowned mom and pop shop. If new owner Mark Walter wants to flex his financial might in the cap constrained NBA, it will have to be off the court. Replacing Pelinka with UI would be a great first step while giving Messiah the biggest platform in basketball and one of the biggest in all of pro sports to further his own interests. Interesting. Interesting. The Hawks have reportedly moved on from their pursuit of UI, but Atlanta still has a vacancy at president. Its new GM is Canadian raised, and the team looks to be on the upswing. The Wizards were once reportedly prepared to give UI franchise equity. What if owner Ted Leonzes comes with an offer to run Monumental Sports and Entertainment, giving UI the chance to work down the street from the political powers that be? Finally, I know it’s tough to envision Bulls owner Jerry Rhinedorf paying up for an executive in Uger’s class, but if Chicago ever wanted to start acting like the big market it is, this would be the way to do it. And oh yeah, here’s a bonus one for you. The man who brought UI to Toronto back in 2013, Tim Wiki now runs the sports and entertainment group trying to bring the NBA to Seattle and Las Vegas. Wherever UI lands, one market’s gain will be Toronto’s loss. Thanks for watching. If you like this video and want to see more content like this, be sure to hit that subscribe button.

The bombshell of the Toronto Raptors’ offseason wasn’t a superstar acquisition, but rather a seismic loss, as the team parted ways with long time president Masai Ujiri.

The news was met with shock north of the border, where Ujiri’s 12-year run transformed the Raptors brand and Canadian basketball.

It also made Ujiri the biggest free agent on the market …

Written & Narrated by: Joseph Casciaro (@JosephCasciaro | X)
Produced & Edited by: Andrew Bartlett (@andrewnsb | Instagram)
Thumbnail Design by: Justin Shipley (@shipleysportstudio | Instagram)

Courtesy List: https://pastebin.com/M8XwYZMV

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