Thoughts now on parting ways with Masai

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

There was a lot of anger and tough words for Rogers when the news was announced. Just wondering if after the summer people feel differently with regard to whether or not MLSE were justified in either refusing to extend, or deciding to part ways with Masai? it certainly seems like the challenges of the skill sets and salaries seem to be more widely accepted, but I'm curious.

I personally thought that the writing was on the wall, as I didn't see Masai taking a pay cut or being deserving of an extension. After the summer, I'm inclined to think they waited too long as there's a chance we'll need to tear down the rebuild and with the money we handed out - it may take a while. Also, we should have seen an issue coming when we're tanking for prospects while putting ourselves into the tax with a lotto team locked in. How do we even retain the young guys we tanked for, let alone develop them.

Created a poll, If you choose other, please let me know your thoughts. And i'd be curious to know if your pov has changed at all since it happened. You can select more than one option.

[DreamTeam09]

the sky is falling before the sun is even up is what I get from this post. Putting ourselves into the tax for a lotto team is again more of a loaded statement without context or neuance on a fan board where posters can easily look up things to explain the nuances n contexts. We are in the tax by less than 2million / we have plenty of minutes to develop the players drafted. Just because you draft a lotto pick doesn't mean you're supposed to hand him a starters spot. If your lotto pick rookie can't crack your starting rotation you either have a good starting rotation or your lotto pick won't be a starter on your team, doesn't mean you did anyone a disservice per se
Again Rogers fired Masai because his contract was up & they didn't like him enough to extend him. You can't really fault Masai while Rogers kept everyone Masai hired, gave them extensions, and kept the team intact, oh and let him handle the draft.

[Duffman100]

I wanted to keep Masai around but I understand why he was let go.

But it's still too early to tell.

[6ixpessant]

Next human up.

It'll be interesting to see what he does next. He probably has a preferred situation or two. Or maybe he won't come back to the NBA.

[Tripod]

Next human up.

It'll be interesting to see what he does next. He probably has a preferred situation or two. Or maybe he won't come back to the NBA.

I still say Vegas grabbing him to build the franchise expansion team...and staff...would be a great move.

This year gets paid by Raps
Then Vegas hires him and he starts building out the office, PR, etc.., staff.
Then starts building out the coaching staff

Gives them stability and a respected President.

[AbC?]

With the benefit of hindsight he should have been fired before the Poeltl trade but better late than never.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Next human up.

It'll be interesting to see what he does next. He probably has a preferred situation or two. Or maybe he won't come back to the NBA.

I still say Vegas grabbing him to build the franchise expansion team...and staff...would be a great move.

This year gets paid by Raps
Then Vegas hires him and he starts building out the office, PR, etc.., staff.
Then starts building out the coaching staff

Gives them stability and a respected President.

I think he's going to the Clippers. They will disappoint this year and fire Frank. Silver will hand them a nominal penalty. He's already been working with Kawhi in the summer and seems to have set up the Clippers with a sponsorship from his connections in Rwanda. Masai is all about using the platform of sports to transfer funds and attention to Africa. He has the biggest whale in the league in Steve Ballmer staring down an embarrassing scandal, in the need of brand rehabilitation.

As soon as the Clippers get bounced from the first round, the investigation will conclude and then Masai will be hired.

[billy_hoyle]

Shouldn't this be an option:

If all they're doing is the same things and just saving his salary and benefits then it makes financial sense to let him go.

[TheGeneral99]

I think it's a mistake, but at least they kept the entire organization in tact.

A guy like Masai was so important because he commands respect around the league, has many connections, is a gateway to basketball without borders, and appeared to be a supreme motivator. Lowry, for example, credited Masai for giving him the tough private talks in 2013 to change his ways and become a real team-oriented player/leader instead of a malcontent troublemaker who can't get along with players/coaches/management.

The fact that he was able to bring guys like Obama, Magic and other huge household names to the Giants of Africa nights in Toronto were huge in terms of team branding, establishing our franchise as a prime basketball city.

[Troubadour]

It was obviously a cost-cutting move then and it's still typical MLSE miser behaviour today.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

The majority of his run, we sucked badly. That sums him up for me.

[Mack11]

We never knew what moves he was solely responsible for and what moves were accounted to boob. Now at least we know whos taking the blame when things go sour. I wanted to keep Masai around tbh.. he earned his keep here and we shouldnt have let him go until he was ready to move on

[C_Money]

He went from being the GOAT gm until the championship. Then he was terrible for a few years. And then he started to turn it around before being fired.

Overall I’m indifferent about the whole thing.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

Him and Bobby just cap locked us.

[Tacoma]

It was obviously a cost-cutting move then and it's still typical MLSE miser behaviour today.

This. It was widely reported that Ed Rogers main issue was not Masai's performance up to that point but that he wasn't worth that contract he signed in 2021 which made him the highest paid among his peers. Masai's 171-229 team record subsequent to that extension cemented Ed's belief.

So when it came time to discuss renewal again and Ed in full control of MLSE, it doesn't take a leap of faith to believe that Ed probably asked Masai to take a pay cut. And it doesn't take another leap of faith to believe Masai likely turned down that offer and then they mutually agreed to part ways.

As this TSN article alludes, if this was a primarily a performance issue, then Ujiri’s entire leadership team wouldn’t still be in place and Bobby would not have been given a new contract extension. The logical conclusion is this parting was primarily (171-229 didn't help) a money matter.

[Duffman100]

The majority of his run, we sucked badly. That sums him up for me.

Um no we didn't.

[Clutch0z24]

I was upset because Masai has been the best GM we ever had.....But post championship Masai has took his foot off the gas and made alot of mistakes.

I think with Bobby the only thing i am wondering is if the reason we were bad post title run was because Masai made Bobby more hands on with the team and stepped back....If thats the case we are in for alot of mid seasons....But we will see how Bobbys team building looks like but i feel if he doesn't turn things around soon he could also be gone as well.

[WaltFrazier]

I think it's a mistake, but at least they kept the entire organization in tact.

A guy like Masai was so important because he commands respect around the league, has many connections, is a gateway to basketball without borders, and appeared to be a supreme motivator. Lowry, for example, credited Masai for giving him the tough private talks in 2013 to change his ways and become a real team-oriented player/leader instead of a malcontent troublemaker who can't get along with players/coaches/management.

The fact that he was able to bring guys like Obama, Magic and other huge household names to the Giants of Africa nights in Toronto were huge in terms of team branding, establishing our franchise as a prime basketball city.

I wonder if the GoA /Mandela nights will continue in Toronto without Masai

[kalel123]

The majority of his run, we sucked badly. That sums him up for me.

WTF are you even talking about? I thought it was his time to go (not this year but next once his current lineup fails) but majority of his run was DeMar/Lowry years punctuated by the championship. This is not a matter of opinion cause you are factually wrong.

[basketballto]

This was 100% cost cutting. The message from Pelley was either you built something great that can survive without you so you should go or you didn't and you should be let go for that.

Same thing happened to the Leafs they lost their president. The Blue Jays will soon. Half of what a president does they have centralized (tickets, promotions, etc) the other half they don't value as highly so they think the position can disappear. Honestly they are probably right they can ride off of the structure the last president built but at some point the wheels fall off and someone needs to be around to rescue it.

I wouldn't have fired him but my company doesn't owe 47 billions.