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Toronto Raptors: Where does Masai Ujiri rank among league executives?

By Nikola Cuvalo

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 17: Masai Ujiri of the Toronto Raptors sits in his seat during the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 17: Masai Ujiri of the Toronto Raptors sits in his seat during the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Bob Myers of the Golden State Warriors (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Bob Myers (President, Golden State Warriors)

  • Organizational record: 443-197 (0.692 Win%) (2012-2019)
  • Best Move: Selecting Draymond Green with the 35th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. (2012)  AND/OR Signing Kevin Durant to a multi-year contract. (2016)
  • Worst Move: Trading Andre Roberson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Archie Goodwin and cash. (2013)

There’s no other candidate with a résumé as stacked as Bob Myers. In his time in Oakland, he put together the greatest team in NBA history, drafting a superstar in Draymond Green and adding him to the nascent Splash Brothers duo. He penned perhaps the single greatest power-shifting move in NBA history when he added yet another superstar through free agency in Kevin Durant.

He was able to secure three NBA titles in five years, broke the regular-season wins record, and developed the league’s only unanimous MVP in Stephen Curry. He racked up two Executive of Year Awards over this period, winning in 2014-2015 and again in 2016-2017.

Myers constantly surrounded Golden State’s star players with adequate depth and coaching expertise. He scoured the bargain bin, as well as the trade market when assessing value additions to bring aboard an increasingly expensive and ever-changing roster. Vets like Andrew Bogut, Leandro Barbosa, and David West all played major roles for their respective iterations of the Dubs’ dynasty. Myers even hit on a late draft pick when he selected Kevon Looney at 30th overall in 2015.

Beyond all that, Myers was instrumental in the Warriors’ recent extensions of Klay Thompson (5 years/$190 million) and Draymond Green (4 years/$100 million). His ability to preserve their championship-calibre nucleus should not go unnoticed, especially when you consider that he also managed to make Curry the highest-paid player in the Association, all while locking up his closest colleagues for the foreseeable future.

Next. Ranking every first round pick in Raptors history. dark

Until another executive can make a history-defining impact on a woebegone franchise with the same level of panache as Bob Myers, his place at the top of this particular list seems quite secure.

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