Raptors Discussion: v93 | Panic level rising significantly

[Dr.Funk]

What do Raptors fans in the know think about Masai's slow to develop re-negotiations? The lack of urgency and relaxed attitude makes it feel like a slow roll out the door. What would they even need to negotiate other than potential ownership stake?

My personal opinion is that he is leaving.

 

[Stephen]

My personal opinion is that he is leaving.

That's what it feels like to me too. From MLSE's perspective, I bet the negotiations would be a blank form: $X million, Y years, you decide the rest Masai and would take 15 minutes to resolve.

 

[trellaine201]

This seems one of those long and painful deaths. I’m not sure why it’s taken so long. Maybe he’s trying to put everything in place before he announces he’s leaving.

 

[IceColdBear]

Basically all of the glamour markets seem to have management in place.

Knicks just hired a guy, Lakers, Clippers and Celtics are set, 76ers have Morey, Miami has Pat Riley, Nets don't need to make a change, obviously not Golden State.

The only place with a possible gm\president opening I could see interesting Masai would be the Chicago Bulls. Every other potential opening seems a lot less attractive than Toronto (to me at least).

Maybe Washington if he wants to make some sort of a philanthropic or political impact.

I'd bet Masai will stay in Toronto, there aren't any great President\GM jobs that look like they will be available.

 

[trellaine201]

What about a job in the front office of the NBA?

 

[stickty111]

This seems one of those long and painful deaths. I’m not sure why it’s taken so long. Maybe he’s trying to put everything in place before he announces he’s leaving.

Or as he said, he had other things that set it back but will get to it.

 

[Dr.Funk]

What about a job in the front office of the NBA?

Unless it commish or deputy commish it's probably a pay cut

 

[hockeywiz542]

Many factors at play for Ujiri as Raptors contract decision draws near - Sportsnet.ca

Nearly eight years later, that day in Vail remains the pivotal moment in Raptors history. The Ujiri-led team made the playoffs in 2013–14, starting a streak that should run to eight seasons in 2020–21, barring anything unforeseen. The list of franchise records and firsts under his leadership is endless, but features most prominently Toronto’s NBA championship in 2019.

But Ujiri is a pending free agent again. His eighth season with the team is also the final year of his current contract, and all signals are that he is in no rush to sign an extension.

The people he works for? They would have signed him yesterday if they could.

“I can promise you, it’s not [MLSE],” said a source with knowledge of the ownership’s thinking. “They’d have to be nuts not to [want to sign him]. It’s not like there’s a Plan A and a Plan B. There’s only Plan A, and it’s him.

“But he’s a very deliberate guy, and the kind of guy you have to respect his space.”

Ujiri has kept his intentions close to the vest, speaking publicly only in broad terms.

.................

But on his own deal he was far less definitive, citing that the logistics of seeing the team through the relocation from Toronto to Tampa Bay as a short-term obstacle, just as seeing the team through the pandemic and the restart was an obstacle before that.

The two sides haven’t talked in depth about his contract since February, according to sources.

.............

In conversations with other NBA executives and other league insiders, the consensus is his track record — his teams have made 10 consecutive playoff appearances and averaged more than 50 wins — and league-wide profile, combined with the leverage he has, will almost certainly make him the highest-paid executive in the league for now and into the foreseeable future. The bidding will start at $12 million a year.

“Masai has gotten to the point where he’s maxed the market as it relates to someone in his position,” said one well-positioned league insider. “As far as a front-office person is concerned, he’s going to make the most money that a front-office person has ever made, and he’s probably going to be able to hold that, where no one is going to be able to usurp that number.”

The bigger question is what will it take for MLSE to convince Ujiri to stay in Toronto -- or at least, why has he been hesitant to sign a deal so far -- and for what reason would he want to leave?

In that case, how he got here in the first place might be instructive. Leiweke quickly understood what appealed to Ujiri was more than money or security — it was the ability to match his ambition.

 

[Stephen]

Or as he said, he had other things that set it back but will get to it.

I'm skeptical of this narrative. I'll bet MLSE would be just as happy to have given Ujiri whatever he wanted to have that foundational stability simultaneously as he's working out these negotiations for his underlings. The way MLSE throws money at staff and players, they would have surely given the championship front off, Nurse and Webster whatever they wanted without too much of a delay. In terms of appearing to be relaxed and in no hurry to re-sign, that feels like the stance of a person who is eager to explore all of his options, not commitment.

Anyway, Ujiri has every right to do whatever he wants but generally the slow roll to free agency and out the door is usually one of the more painful sports breakups to witness. It would be like the executive version of the current Giannis storyline and the previous Kawhi storyline, so hopefully I'm wrong on this one.

 

[BAM]

I'm skeptical of this narrative. I'll bet MLSE would be just as happy to have given Ujiri whatever he wanted to have that foundational stability simultaneously as he's working out these negotiations for his underlings. The way MLSE throws money at staff and players, they would have surely given the championship front off, Nurse and Webster whatever they wanted without too much of a delay. In terms of appearing to be relaxed and in no hurry to re-sign, that feels like the stance of a person who is eager to explore all of his options, not commitment.

Anyway, Ujiri has every right to do whatever he wants but generally the slow roll to free agency and out the door is usually one of the more painful sports breakups to witness. It would be like the executive version of the current Giannis storyline and the previous Kawhi storyline, so hopefully I'm wrong on this one.

Hasn't Ujiri been on record saying that he wants to make sure all his guys get paid first and all the offseason work is done before getting to his contract?

He may just be that kind of person where he wants his support staff taken care of before he gets his. Pretty cool thing to do if that is the truth. Everyone knows that MLSE would pay him whatever, he's arguably the top executive in the NBA.

As for him leaving...only place I can see him going is to Washington to pursue his goals in a manner he doesn't have access to in Toronto.

 

[Stephen]

Hasn't Ujiri been on record saying that he wants to make sure all his guys get paid first and all the offseason work is done before getting to his contract?

He may just be that kind of person where he wants his support staff taken care of before he gets his. Pretty cool thing to do if that is the truth. Everyone knows that MLSE would pay him whatever, he's arguably the top executive in the NBA.

As for him leaving...only place I can see him going is to Washington to pursue his goals in a manner he doesn't have access to in Toronto.

I hope I’m wrong on this one but I just don’t see how there would possibly be any hold up in re-signing Nurse or Webster or any of the front office that delivered a Big 4 pro sports championship to MLSE and Toronto. I’ll bet Larry Tannenbaum signs off on pretty much any ask.

 

[BAM]

I hope I’m wrong on this one but I just don’t see how there would possibly be any hold up in re-signing Nurse or Webster or any of the front office that delivered a Big 4 pro sports championship to MLSE and Toronto. I’ll bet Larry Tannenbaum signs off on pretty much any ask.

Nurse was re-signed and Masai just mentioned that Webster is close to being signed as well in his presser.

 

[hockeywiz542]

6:22 | December 5, 2020

Michael Grange joined Sportsnet Central to discuss when Masai Ujiri’s next contract might be signed and how NBA players will respond to the league’s new COVID-19 protocols for the upcoming season.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Masai has put in place a plan designed to compete for a max free-agent in 2021 (aka. Giannis)

But if he's is not locked up, the Raptors have no shot at signing Giannis, or any other star. Those guys aren't coming if the pitch is Siakam and Webster.

What a dick move it'd be to leave.

 

[Jozay]

Masai has put in place a plan designed to compete for a max free-agent in 2021 (aka. Giannis)

But if he's is not locked up, the Raptors have no shot at signing Giannis, or any other star. Those guys aren't coming if the pitch is Siakam and Webster.

What a dick move it'd be to leave.

How is that a dick move?

Giannis or not, he's left the team in a good spot. They have some good long term pieces, all their draft picks and cap space.

A dick move would be making a trade like the Nets did when they got KG, Pierce for all those picks and then leaving.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Raptors should be in on Harden.

• If they're serious about landing Giannis, I don't think Siakam is and enticing enough "star" when you'll be competing against Dallas, Miami and Golden State
• If you include Siakam + Powell in a trade, you'd maintain a max slot in 2021
• Harden has seemingly left the door open the "Philadelphia and other contenders"
• With what happened in the Morey situation, and knowing how Fertitta is, I don't think he's eager to trade Harden to Philly
• We can compete, from an offer perspective, with Brooklyn
• Yes, Harden is a disgruntled star that has question marks. But so was Kawhi

Siakam, Powell, TD, 3 1st round picks for Harden and PJ Tucker.

PG - Lowry | Van Vleet
SG - Harden
SF - OG
PF - Tucker
C - Baynes

Compete this year, pair Giannis with Harden in 2021/22.

 

[DaveMatthew]

How is that a dick move?

Giannis or not, he's left the team in a good spot. They have some good long term pieces, all their draft picks and cap space.

A dick move would be making a trade like the Nets did when they got KG, Pierce for all those picks and then leaving.

I think Masai knows full well that a max star isn't coming here if he's not committed to the franchise. At this point, he's the draw.

So if he's planning on leaving, he's put in place a strategy that he knows will fail. The max slot won't mean much.

Unless he goes out and trades for another star (aka Harden) that could be the reason for Giannis signing here in the offseason.

 

[Jozay]

I think Masai knows full well that a max star isn't coming here if he's not committed to the franchise. At this point, he's the draw.

So if he's planning on leaving, he's put in place a strategy that he knows will fail. The max slot won't mean much.

Unless he goes out and trades for another star (aka Harden) that could be the reason for Giannis signing here in the offseason.

Thats not Masai's problem that a star wont come here if he leaves.

Cap space will always be an asset.

 

[DaveMatthew]

Thats not Masai's problem that a star wont come here if he leaves.

Cap space will always be an asset.

No, it wouldn't be his problem.

But IMO (and I love Masai), I'd be upset if he built a strategy around attracting a max star in 2021 if he's not planning to be here to see it through.

If Masai says he's leaving, the Raptors probably don't even get a meeting with Giannis.

 

[Jozay]

No, it wouldn't be his problem.

But IMO (and I love Masai), I'd be upset if he built a strategy around attracting a max star in 2021 if he's not planning to be here to see it through.

If Masai says he's leaving, the Raptors probably don't even get a meeting with Giannis.

The good thing about what Masai has done is that the Raptors will be perfectly fine if they dont get Giannis, which they probably wont regardless if Masai is here or not.

Theres not much I'd do differently than what Masai and the rest of the front office has done, even if Giannis wasnt the goal.

 

[BAM]

Masai has put in place a plan designed to compete for a max free-agent in 2021 (aka. Giannis)

But if he's is not locked up, the Raptors have no shot at signing Giannis, or any other star. Those guys aren't coming if the pitch is Siakam and Webster.

What a dick move it'd be to leave.

How is it a dick move? I've followed the team since the days of Bosh and Bargnani and never would've guessed the Raptors would one day win a championship. He brought the Raptors a championship in a sport where the majority of star players are American, don't like playing in Canada, and unlike the NHL with their developing U.S markets, the NBA does virtually nothing to help promote the Raptors to grow the game (Lack of national TV games or Christmas games as an example despite being a top 5 team in the league for most of the Lowry era and a title winner).

Masai did more for the Raptors than any Leaf GM has done since 1967 and he built his title winner without tanking or any top 10 picks...he can do as he pleases.

 

[AllDay28]

If/when Masai leaves it won’t be for another GM Prez job.. it’ll be for a bigger job. Or an entirely different field.

 

[stickty111]

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[Stephen]

I wonder if Masai and Giannis have plans to link up in a non Toronto non Milwaukee destination. Both seem non committal and willing to slow roll to free agency.