3 pivotal Masai Ujiri moves that made the Raptors a playoff team

The Toronto Raptors are back in the postseason after one year in the lottery, as Masai Ujiri helped construct a winner from the ashes of the team that got burnt to a crisp in their temporary Tampa abode. Scottie Barnes and Fred VanVleet have this team playing red-hot basketball at the moment.

Ujiri didn’t have a playoff-caliber roster when he started the shortened offseason. He lacked interior depth, had no players older than 30, and needed some extra shooting. Most of the team who finished 12th in the Eastern Conference was going to make the trip to Toronto.

The Raptors started the offseason off by retaining Gary Trent Jr. on a three-year deal, and things only got better from there. Ujiri and Bobby Webster have developed a reputation for finding diamonds in the rough, and the dynamic duo was able to work their magic once again in 2021.

Thanks to Ujiri and Webster nailing it in the offseason, the Raptors have been able to smash even the most optimistic expectations. VanVleet and Pascal Siakam deserve the lion’s share of the credit, but these three moves have paid dividends.

3 moves Masai Ujiri made that boosted the 2021-22 Toronto Raptors

3. Trading Goran Dragic for Thad Young

Dragic finally got to fulfill his “higher ambitions”, which involves becoming a backup on a Nets team that is locked into the play-in. In exchange for sending Dragic’s contract and the No. 20 overall pick to San Antonio, Toronto was able to acquire Young and bring back a second-round pick.

Young is averaging 6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game while becoming a solid 3-point shooter and efficient finisher. On top of his box score stats, Young has been an invaluable presence on a young team full of players that have a similar style of play to Young.

Thad Young has been a perfect veteran presence for the Toronto Raptors.

When Dragic left the team, Khem Birch became the most senior member of the team. Having Young, who has been consistently productive over his 15-year career, is a great steadying asset for this team. How many times has he sparked a run by playing alongside the starters?

Just a handful of games into his Raptors career, Young has already been trusted to close out games. While Dragic was collecting dust in Miami, Ujrii had the insight to acquire a clubhouse leader while recouping a very high second-round pick. Not a bad bit of business.