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Raptors have top deal-maker ever in house: Masai Ujiri’s 5 best trades

By Brian Boake

DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 20: A close up shot of the Toronto Raptors logo on their shorts during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 20, 2013 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 20: A close up shot of the Toronto Raptors logo on their shorts during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 20, 2013 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 27: Andrea Bargnani #77 of the New York Knicks rebounds against the Toronto Raptors on December 27, 2013 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 27: Andrea Bargnani #77 of the New York Knicks rebounds against the Toronto Raptors on December 27, 2013 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Dateline: July 10, 2013

While Masai has never said explicitly, “I knew I had to dump Andrea Bargnani when I returned to Toronto”, he’s come awfully close. His first major move after being hired as GM by Tim Leiweke was to engineer this massive trade, predicated on an “addition by subtraction” mindset.

Bargnani had to go. He had long since lost any connection to the Raptors faithful, who were booing him regularly. His seemingly constant trips to the Disabled List rendered him useless.

Glen Grunwald was the Knicks GM at the time, and his agreement to this deal has often been cited as the final straw for mercurial owner James Dolan. Grunwald was canned shortly after. I’ve never understood that; New York was able to shed a number of bad contracts, and Bargs might have bounced back. The Raptors knew they were buying a couple of members of the Over the Hill Gang. Camby was bought out, and Richardson was waived. Novak enjoyed some quality time as a stretch-5, but his defensive shortcomings limited his minutes.

Bargs did little for the Knicks, less than that for the Nets, and is out of the NBA.

The major prize for Toronto turned out to be the 2016 pick, which was used to select Jakob Poeltl.

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