Shams: Masai and Toronto part ways

SA37 · Post #21 » by **SA37** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:04 pm

facothomas22 wrote:Long over due. The Raptors decision making hasn't been great lately. Didn't get enough value OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam. Confusing choices like giving up a 1st round for Jakob Poeltl, despite of not being in now mode. Questionable draft selections. Overpaying for certain players. Masai had a great run, but time has passed him by.

I've never understood making Poeltl untouchable in trades :lol:

ReggiesKnicks · Post #22 » by **ReggiesKnicks** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:05 pm

Godaddycurse wrote:We are kinda screwed/iced out from Free Agency for a while now which messes with rounding out the team. Still have a gaping hole at C. Such **** timing

Yeah, if we could simply figure out how we got into this position and get rid of the guy who put us in this "screwed up position" :crazy:

Troubadour · Post #23 » by **Troubadour** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:07 pm

Texas Chuck wrote:yep this was overdue. He had a good long run, but hadn't been on his game for years now. This is great news for the Raptors.

This is driven by Rogers taking a controlling interest in MLSE and a personal grudge Ed Rogers has against Masai Ujiri (argued against renewing his contract back in 2021ish). Doubt Ed Rogers cares one iota about the on-court performance.

Post #24 » by **Texas Chuck** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:08 pm

ReggiesKnicks wrote:The best case is that Toronto is a 50-win team this year, and you get to tell everyone, "I told you so!"

If this team wins 50 games (without making a major move) I'm going to have to eat crow for like a month. And yes godaddy should let me hear about it forever lol.

Troubadour · Post #25 » by **Troubadour** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:11 pm

Raptors decision-making has been bad over the last 2-3 years, but this starts at the very top in Toronto. MLSE lost a ton of money during the Tampa and COVID seasons and then Rogers bought a controlling interest of MLSE at a valuation of $12B CDN. They're going to clean house of any people who aren't on the same page with Ed Rogers and look to squeeze every dollar out of this team and its fanbase.

All of the "big fish" hunting has been identical to how the Rogers-owned Blue Jays operate. Get your name out there for every big name and always come up short and then field a mediocre team each season. Makes me long for the days of OTPP owning the team.

Devilanche · Post #26 » by **Devilanche** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:19 pm

So tear down upcoming ?

Post #27 » by **gswhoops** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:21 pm

Texas Chuck wrote:yep this was overdue. He had a good long run, but hadn't been on his game for years now. This is great news for the Raptors.

A buddy in the groupchat called him the Doc Rivers of GMs and honestly...I don't hate the analogy

Troubadour · Post #28 » by **Troubadour** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:22 pm

Devilanche wrote:So tear down upcoming ?

No, this is about MLSE politics. They've extended the contracts of all of the other front office people. MLSE will want to field a competitive team and I strongly believe the push for Kevin Durant and others is coming from the ownership group.

ChettheJet · Post #29 » by **ChettheJet** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:24 pm

My uninformed opinion would be that there was a meeting with ownership a couple of weeks ago and the plan was to make some deals leading up to the draft to either move up for a better choice, move down and add picks, to make a trade or two to cut salary down the road, get a center. Then came draft day and they basically did nothing but draft a wing guy like they have at #9. And ownership saw other teams making moves while his guy did even less that the Chicago Bulls, he had to go

Devilanche · Post #30 » by **Devilanche** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:25 pm

Troubadour wrote:
Devilanche wrote:So tear down upcoming ?

No, this is about MLSE politics. They've extended the contracts of all of the other front office people. MLSE will want to field a competitive team and I strongly believe the push for Kevin Durant and others is coming from the ownership group.

I see . What’s weird is that the draft were picks that Masai would have made as before so whoever coming in somehow would have to make it work or retool around his vision .

Troubadour · Post #31 » by **Troubadour** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:26 pm

Devilanche wrote:
Troubadour wrote:
Devilanche wrote:So tear down upcoming ?

No, this is about MLSE politics. They've extended the contracts of all of the other front office people. MLSE will want to field a competitive team and I strongly believe the push for Kevin Durant and others is coming from the ownership group.

I see . What’s weird is that the draft were picks that Masai would have made as before so whoever coming in somehow would have to make it work or retool around his vision .

Bobby Webster led the draft room this year. He's had a fair bit of influence for a while now.

Troubadour · Post #32 » by **Troubadour** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:26 pm

ChettheJet wrote:My uninformed opinion would be that there was a meeting with ownership a couple of weeks ago and the plan was to make some deals leading up to the draft to either move up for a better choice, move down and add picks, to make a trade or two to cut salary down the road, get a center. Then came draft day and they basically did nothing but draft a wing guy like they have at #9. And ownership saw other teams making moves while his guy did even less that the Chicago Bulls, he had to go

Ed Rogers wanted Masai Ujiri out four years ago.

ReggiesKnicks · Post #33 » by **ReggiesKnicks** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:28 pm

Troubadour wrote:
ChettheJet wrote:My uninformed opinion would be that there was a meeting with ownership a couple of weeks ago and the plan was to make some deals leading up to the draft to either move up for a better choice, move down and add picks, to make a trade or two to cut salary down the road, get a center. Then came draft day and they basically did nothing but draft a wing guy like they have at #9. And ownership saw other teams making moves while his guy did even less that the Chicago Bulls, he had to go

Ed Rogers wanted Masai Ujiri out four years ago.

Rightfully so.

Post #34 » by **jbk1234** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:29 pm

gswhoops wrote:Weird to do this immediately after the draft

The pick may have been the last straw.

Troubadour · Post #35 » by **Troubadour** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:30 pm

ReggiesKnicks wrote:
Troubadour wrote:
ChettheJet wrote:My uninformed opinion would be that there was a meeting with ownership a couple of weeks ago and the plan was to make some deals leading up to the draft to either move up for a better choice, move down and add picks, to make a trade or two to cut salary down the road, get a center. Then came draft day and they basically did nothing but draft a wing guy like they have at #9. And ownership saw other teams making moves while his guy did even less that the Chicago Bulls, he had to go

Ed Rogers wanted Masai Ujiri out four years ago.

Rightfully so.

If you trust Ed Rogers over Masai Ujiri, I have some interesting investment opportunities I'd like to run by you.

Troubadour · Post #36 » by **Troubadour** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:31 pm

jbk1234 wrote:
gswhoops wrote:Weird to do this immediately after the draft

The pick may have been the last straw.

MLSE extended Bobby Webster in May 2025 and he led this draft process. Rogers bought a controlling interest in MLSE and Ed Rogers has wanted Masai Ujiri out since at least 2021.

Recent decision-making has nothing to do with it.

ReggiesKnicks · Post #37 » by **ReggiesKnicks** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:35 pm

Troubadour wrote:
ReggiesKnicks wrote:
Troubadour wrote:
Ed Rogers wanted Masai Ujiri out four years ago.

Rightfully so.

If you trust Ed Rogers over Masai Ujiri, I have some interesting investment opportunities I'd like to run by you.

I'm already set for retirement :lol:

Post #38 » by **Scoot McGroot** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:49 pm

Texas Chuck wrote:yep this was overdue. He had a good long run, but hadn't been on his game for years now. This is great news for the Raptors.

Masai really developed a bulletproof aura for awhile based almost solely on the Kawhi trade bringing a championship. Which yes, championships are what you do it for, but everything else seemed pretty mediocre in terms of decision making?

Post #39 » by **Texas Chuck** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:50 pm

Scoot McGroot wrote:
Texas Chuck wrote:yep this was overdue. He had a good long run, but hadn't been on his game for years now. This is great news for the Raptors.

Masai really developed a bulletproof aura for awhile based almost solely on the Kawhi trade bringing a championship. Which yes, championships are what you do it for, but everything else seemed pretty mediocre in terms of decision making?

The Marc Gasol pickup as the final piece, getting Danny Green thrown into the Kawhi deal were other hits and didn't he have a great rep before even getting to Toronto?

Post #40 » by **oldncreaky** » Fri Jun 27, 2025 2:57 pm

Troubadour wrote:
ReggiesKnicks wrote:
Troubadour wrote:
Ed Rogers wanted Masai Ujiri out four years ago.

Rightfully so.

If you trust Ed Rogers over Masai Ujiri, I have some interesting investment opportunities I'd like to run by you.

Those investments wouldn't involve a bridge in Brooklyn perhaps? 8-)

For those who don't follow the politics around team ownership in Toronto, Ed Rogers is the spoilt scion of Ted Rogers, who built a media empire (cable/cell/sports/etc.) --- very, very much the equivalent of Jim Dolan, who inherited his media based empire from his father too. With Larry Tannenbaum selling his controlling stake in MLSE and the Raptors, Ed Rogers is now the controlling owner of MLSE, which in turn owns both the Raptors and Maple Leafs.

I'm pretty sure Ed Rogers will be better than Matt Ishbia, if only because there are material minority owners that would slow down the decision making a bit. But the analogy to Dolan may prove to be spot on . . .