When it comes to Canadian organizations in the major professional sports leagues, the Toronto Raptors rank No. 1.
They have a championship and have been contenders for a while, and the man that deserves the credit is president Masai Ujiri.
So why have the Raptors let the architect of the team go all the way until now without a contract extension? There have been rumours Ujiri is being courted by other organizations. Those haven’t come to fruition, at least not yet.
But in his exit meeting with the media, Ujiri was honest that the conversation hasn’t come up and he needs more time to reflect. He has only been concentrating on making sure the leadership core is locked in. Head coach Nick Nurse has been signed and it sounds like the general manager will be locked up soon.
The priority for ownership must now turn to Ujiri. He’s as important a piece as the best players on the floor.