Raptors Insider Josh Lewenberg revealed the decision to fire Masai Ujiri was largely financial rather than a reflection of his vision. Critics had questioned past roster moves and the team’s salary cap situation.
The Toronto Raptors recently made a big front-office change, parting ways with longtime president Masai Ujiri.
Raptors insider Josh Lewenberg shared insight into the reasoning behind the move and what it could mean for the franchise moving forward.
"What I was told was that a number of the external candidates that came in really, really pushed back on some of the moves that Masai and company made over the last few years. One of them went as far as calling the Ingram trade a desperate Hail Mary, and that's not surprising, right?" Lewenberg said.
He added that some critics noted the Raptors are currently in a bit of a salary cap crunch, paying a lot of money for a roster that is perceived to have limited upside.
"So the fact that they ultimately decided to stay in-house tells us a few things. I mean, first of all, it reiterates what we already knew, in that the Masai firing has more to do with money than vision."
"But it also tells us that this new-look ownership group, led, of course, by Keith Pelley and the Rogers Control Board, that they still believe in this team."
Credit The Canadian Press/PA Images – Scanpix
Lewenberg also explained how the leadership style of Masai Ujiri differs from his successor, Bobby Webster.
"Where I do expect to see some changes, or at least some differences, is a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff that might not be reflected in the roster, in the sense that while their vision might not be entirely different, these are two very, very different people," he explained.
"Like, Masai's, you know, larger-than-life personality and persona. Bobby's not that guy, and I don't necessarily mean that that's a bad thing. I think he's more understated, down-to-earth, certainly easier to relate with."
He continued, highlighting Webster’s ability to connect with both players and the broader basketball community.
"But Masai, I mean, over the years, he became a celebrity, and I think there are just certain things that go with that. Whereas Bobby, like, he can dress down, he's still young enough to relate to a lot of the players and fans and just people around."
"Like, he can chop it up with anybody. Whereas he can also put on the suit, and he's highly regarded and respected by his peers. I think he's shown over the years," he concluded.
Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.