Power Ranking the Toronto Raptors’ Six General Managers
#1: Glen Grunwald (1997-2004)
Jan 9, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Carter (15) against the New Orleans Pelicans during a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Grizzlies 106-95. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Glen Grunwald is often regarded as the most popular GM in Raptors history. While Ujiri seems to be hot on his toes, it feels right to give the top spot on this list to the man who made the Raptors a winning team for the first time. If Grunwald hadn’t helped transform the Raptors, there is a good chance they would have ended up like the Vancouver Grizzlies: earning terrible losing records and being forced to move.
Grunwald is particularly memorable in that he orchestrated bringing in the team’s two best players ever. First, in 1998 during the draft, Grunwald made a decision that forever changed the Raptors. He traded away the rights to the fourth overall pick (Antawn Jamison) for the fifth overall pick from the Golden State Warriors (Vince Carter).
Carter became hugely influential in making the Raptors cool and popular around the league. He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2000 in decisive fashion, truly earning the nickname “Air Canada”. He also continues to hold franchise records in many categories, including most points in a single game (51), most points in a single season (2107) and highest points per game 23.4.
Grunwald took a complete hunch on Carter and it certainly paid off. He also took a hunch on Chris Bosh in 2003, drafting him fourth overall. Bosh was another massively impactful player for Raptors, helping the team along when Carter departed. Bosh holds pretty well all the records for the team that Carter doesn’t.
Thinking about great moments in Raptors history without reminiscing about Bosh and Carter seems impossible. Without Grunwald, neither player would have made it to Toronto. Plus, he also brought Antonio Davis, Charles Oakley and Jalen Rose to town. All this to say that Ujiri still has a long way to go before he can eclipse Grunwald.