Masai Ujiri is out as vice-chairman and president of the Toronto Raptors, marking the end of a more than decade-long run that delivered the franchise’s first NBA title.
The sides parted ways Friday, with Ujiri heading into the final year of his contract.
The dismissal continues Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment’s trend of moving on from team presidents — Brendan Shanahan was let go last month by the Maple Leafs, and Bill Manning was shown the door last year by both Toronto FC and the Argonauts.
“During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it,” said MLSE President & CEO Keith Pelley in a statement. “He brought an NBA Championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city, and ourselves.
“We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best. As we plan for the franchise’s future, and its return to the NBA Playoffs, a search for the successor as president of the Raptors, led by CAA Executive Search, will begin immediately.”
In a release, MLSE said general manager Bobby Webster had been extended, but the terms of the contract were not released.
“We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place,” Pelley said. “They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel.
“We feel the team is in a strong, stable place, and we believe the addition of a new president will continue to move the Raptors forward, towards our next NBA championship.”
The team has called a news conference for 1 p.m. Friday.
Ujiri was present at the OVO Athletic Centre, the Raptors’ training facility, about an hour before the first round of the NBA Draft began on Wednesday. He walked around the public area and greeted reporters in the media centre.
Ujiri guided the Raptors to their lone NBA title in 2019 after a series of bold moves, including trading star DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard and firing coach Dwane Casey in favour of Nick Nurse.
Under Ujiri, the Raptors made the playoffs seven straight seasons from 2013-14 to 2019-20.
While Leonard packed his bags for Los Angeles to play for the Clippers in free agency after the championship, the Raptors remained a force in the pandemic-interrupted 2019-20 season. Toronto finished the regular season with the league’s second-best record before losing to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of a second-round series in the league’s bubble in Orlando, Fla.
Kyle Lowry, a pillar of the Raptors’ most successful run in team history, went to Miami in a sign-and-trade following that season, and Toronto has since missed the post-season four of the last five years, including the last three, as Ujiri committed to a rebuild amid a trying 2023-24.
Longtime point guard Fred VanVleet had already bolted to Houston in free agency before that season, with Ujiri eventually trading forwards Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby to Indiana and New York before the trade deadline.
The trades left backup forward Chris Boucher as the last player remaining from the 2019 title team.
Toronto went 25-57 in 2023-24, following that up with a 30-52 record last season.
An assistant general manager in Toronto in 2008 before taking over as GM of the Denver Nuggets, Ujiri was rehired by the Raptors to run basketball operations in May 2013.
