There is a feeling within the Raptors organization that Webster wants the president’s job now that it’s available. Him being included in the interview process is not a courtesy, but something Webster wants.
He’s been comfortably in his role as second-in-command in the Raptors front office, but after 13 years, there is a sense that he’s ready for a challenge and moving to the president’s role is a natural progression.
He’s thought of highly within MLSE and will get serious consideration, per sources, even if the executive search is ongoing.
An example of how Ujiri and Webster differed: it was Ujiri who was resistant to signing Pascal Siakam to an extension in the season prior to him being traded to the Indiana Pacers in January of 2024. Ujiri didn’t want the risk of a long-term deal on his books for a player who he was no longer sure was a fit with Scottie Barnes’ timeline. An injury to Siakam after he signed, or even just a downturn in performance, would have left the Raptors in a difficult situation.
But not signing him also meant that they had less control over where Siakam could be traded as he headed into the final year of his contract, likely less leverage for extracting a top price.
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