Table of Contents
- The sacking of Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri has sparked a debate in the NBA.
- The Black basketball executive based in Canada served the team for over a decade
- Ujiri’s leadership as a Black executive left a mark of grace for the team which he parted ways with in hidden coldness according to insiders
The sacking of Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri has sparked a debate in the NBA.
The Black basketball executive based in Canada served the team for over a decade and was behind its transformation including its first NBA championship in 2019.
He joined the Raptors as the Vice President and doubled up as the general manager in 2013. He served diligently for the next three years which earned him a promotion as the club president.
His tenure spotlighted Raptors who rose to high NBA ranks. Ujiri’s leadership as a Black executive left a mark of grace for the team which he parted ways with in hidden coldness according to insiders.
Is Masai Ujiri Still with the Raptors?
Masai Ujiri parted ways with the Raptors on ‘mutual terms.’ However, pundits are questioning how the decorated Raptors president agreed to leave the club amid his rebuilding plans.
Masai Ujiri, the former president of Toronto Raptors. Toronto Raptors announced on Friday, June 27 that Ujiri would no longer serve as the club’s president. The Canadian-based Kenyan executive had a year remaining on his contract. Photo/SportsNet
Pundits suggest that he was edged out and had no choice other than stepping aside despite his efforts to pick the best drafts for the team in readiness for the next season.
Toronto Raptors announced on Friday, June 27 that Ujiri would no longer serve as the club’s president. The Canadian-based Kenyan executive had a year remaining on his contract.
However, it’s worth to note that his exit from the team nearly came in 2021 when majority shareholder in MLSE, Roger Communications unsuccessfully blocked his contract extension.
His goose was cooked by a disappointing 2024-25 season for the Raptors who missed the playoffs. This gave the shot callers sufficient ground to call for his sacking before the end of his contract.
Yet, Raptors missing the playoffs was not his fault but an issue occasioned by a roster transition. Ujiri was on top of the 2025 NBA Draft, picking Raptors’ No.9.
Keith Pelley, the MLSE CEO defended Ujiri’s exit, stating that it was on mutual grounds. Still, there are rumours that the Raptors didn’t want to continue paying Ujiri $15 million a year.
He has remained quiet in this whole debate.
Where is Ujiri Headed?
Masai Ujiri, the former president of Toronto Raptors. Photo/Sportsnet
Athlon Sports reported that Marc Stein, an NBA insider, hinted that Masai Ujiri could be headed to the Atlanta Hawks in the same capacity as a club president.
Stein posted on his X page that Ujiri is one of the candidates who emerged as a favourite for the position of Atlanta Hawks basketball operations president.
What is Masai Ujiri Known for?
Masai Ujiri is one of the widely celebrated basketball professional executives in North America. He is the mastermind behind the first NBA Championship triumph of the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
Ujiri blazed a trail of his own, having had a humble scouting experience in Europe and now being the first general manager in North America.
As a talent scout and an executive, he made a name for himself with the Denver Nuggets before working with the Toronto Raptors from 2023.
He was promoted to the club’s president after three years of serving as the general manager.
It’s during his tenure that the Raptors established themselves as a regular franchise in the playoffs and eventually emerged as NBA champions following their first-ever championship in 2019.
