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Knicks come calling for Raptors’ Masai Ujiri – what now?

By Danny McLeod

Sep 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri poses for pictures during media day at BioSteel Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri poses for pictures during media day at BioSteel Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Phil Jackson has been booted from the Knicks, and their owner wants the Raptors’ Masai Ujiri to take over. What will our man do?

Losing both Jeff Weltman and Masai Ujiri in the same off season would be a crippling blow for the Raptors organization. Since rejoining the Toronto Raptors in 2013 Ujiri has provided confidence, stability and patience to an organization which had been perpetually lacking all of the above for what seemed like forever. Now, at a time when the organization has already suffered the loss of one key voice in the front office, Toronto must exude the same confidence, stability and patience which Ujiri has long provided his suitor.

Wednesday Ujiri presented Bobby Webster to the media. The bright and shiny 32 year old has long been thought of as a rising star in NBA executive circles and now becomes the youngest GM in the league. After introducing Webster to the media and saying “Today was all about Bobby Webster” Masai quickly left the microphone to his new GM and stepped back before anyone could follow him with the question on everyone’s mind “Are you going to New York?”

The lure & peril of New York

No one would blame Masai if he did. The Knicks have been the poster child for mismanagement over the last few years, so the firing of Phil Jackson Wednesday opens the door to a breath of fresh air in the big apple. The idea of reinvigorating one of the flagship franchises of the NBA and winning New York over as its Savior is a tantalizing prospect to anyone in their right minds.

The thought of working with James Dolan however is not. The Knicks owner hired Jackson to reinvent and rejuvenate his franchise only to see it remain in tatters. Public feuds with star players and purported naps during draft workouts had finally taken their toll on the franchise and Dolan. After guaranteeing the final two years of Jackson’s contract only weeks ago, the Knicks essentially paid Jackson 24 million dollars to go away. Now the Owner has his sights set on the one man who keeps fleecing him: Masai Ujiri.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 06: Exceutive Chairman James Dolan of the New York Rangers watches a practice session on an off day during the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs at Staples Center on June 6, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 06: Exceutive Chairman James Dolan of the New York Rangers watches a practice session on an off day during the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs at Staples Center on June 6, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Ujiri has real star power as a GM and team president in this league and that in and of itself is attractive to the Knicks. With New York being a bastion of celebrity, the addition of Ujiri does seem like a natural fit although so does Toronto. The thing about Toronto is that it offers a lot of the same things New York does – a metropolitan and international city, incredible cultural diversity, nightlife and entertainment, a media charged market which always has eyes on it. The other thing about Toronto, is that it still isn’t New York. NY is bigger, more populated, and essentially has everything Toronto has except one thing – The Raptors.

That Leiwecke guy again

The Knicks aren’t the Raptors, that’s for sure. The Knicks under the Jackson-Dolan regime combined for a record of 80-166 over the past three years. The Raptors under Ujiri’s 4 year tenure have gone 204 – 124 including 4 straight post season appearances and 3 division championships in a row (losing out this year to Boston). Leaving a winning franchise to take the reigns of a losing one doesn’t make a lot of sense unless you want to quote “put your mark” on a franchise. However, Ujiri is already doing that here in Toronto and leaving at this stage just feels like unfinished business. But then again, maybe Ujiri thinks he has unfinished business with Tim Leiweke too.

CARSON, CA – DECEMBER 01: Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of AEG, arrives before the Los Angeles Galaxy take on the Houston Dynamo in the 2012 MLS Cup at The Home Depot Center on December 1, 2012 in Carson, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA – DECEMBER 01: Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of AEG, arrives before the Los Angeles Galaxy take on the Houston Dynamo in the 2012 MLS Cup at The Home Depot Center on December 1, 2012 in Carson, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

The solution is…

Leiweke was the man who lured Ujiri away from Denver and Josh Kroenke after the two had reportedly already agreed on an extension. Leiweke stepped away from MLSE in 2015 and has joined the Knicks organization. He has been reported to be spearheading Masai’s recruitment by the Knicks and would love to once again lure away his prized executive. With Larry Tanenbaum leaving MLSE as as well this summer, Masai may want to pick up where he left off with his former boss. If Ujiri does ultimately decide to leave Toronto, the decision is reportedly his to make, contracts be damned. MLSE must exercise extreme tact and patience right now and essentially write a blank cheque to Ujiri and ask him to fill in the rest.

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