Shams: Bobby Promoted to "Final Decision Maker of Basketball (still GM) " update pg. 27

[Jerry Lucas]

It has to be Bobby, because I can't fathom Casey or Eversley having the final say on basketball operations.

If you choose to take Grange's reporting at face value about the president search (which I'm still not willing to do yet even though there's been regime changes at the ownership and front office levels), the only candidates other than Bobby who can even really be considered "legit" (again you have to take Michael Grange's reporting at face value in order to consider them legit) are Casey and Monte McNair, who have both reportedly met with Pelley at least once.

Other names like Eversley, Buchanan, and Pritchard haven't even been confirmed to have met with Pelley for various reasons, and thus have to be considered fringe candidates at best. In Eversley's case specifically, Grange even said it's not clear if MLSE has done background work on him for the president's role, or to be the new GM working under Bobby post-promotion.

Even if I decided to take Grange's reporting at face value just to consider Casey and McNair legit candidates, I'm still predicting Bobby gets the promotion.

[Tha Cynic]

The Casey doom-posting is going to be hilarious to look back on when Bobby gets promoted.

Read on Twitter

The fact that he was even interviewed to begin with either shows incompetence or that it’s not a real search and they already have someone in mind.

So yes, let’s all hope this ends up being some hilarious situation afterwards.

[ForeverTFC]

The Casey doom-posting is going to be hilarious to look back on when Bobby gets promoted.

Read on Twitter

The fact that he was even interviewed* to begin with either shows incompetence or that it’s not a real search and they already have someone in mind.

So yes, let’s all hope this ends up being some hilarious situation afterwards.

Multiple interviews. And we can be pretty certain of that because Grange has been Rogers' mouthpiece/lapdog on the Raptors for the last 2 years.

[Tha Cynic]

hayes

https://youtu.be/scpzsXUmX6o?t=2334

https://youtu.be/scpzsXUmX6o?t=6143

I'm not even going to click these links because Bryan Hayes knows nothing about ball, but I suspect it's just dumb hockey guy takes.

Edit: LOL I clicked and instantly regretted, he said firing Masai just to promote Bobby and save money would be bad optics.

They actually made some very good points and brought up multiple things that show they’re not just puck heads. First time hearing them speak basketball.

The comment about this team being expensive needs to stop though. Every team in the league is expensive

[ATLTimekeeper]

Just for anyone that doesn't listen to that show, they have never liked Bobby. They ridicule him for basically just giving corporate answers and being smug, which is what he does. Bobby doesn't suffer fools and so the media doesn't really engage with him that well. Hayes definitely knows more about the NBA than the other two, but really not much at all.

Part of the reason why I could see MLSE thinking Casey makes sense is that he has all the time in the world for the media and he's already built a rapport with all of them. It gives MLSE a convenient shield. He can also be the guy that has that tough conversation with a player, like Masai did with Lowry.

[TheGeneral99]

Just for anyone that doesn't listen to that show, they have never liked Bobby. They ridicule him for basically just giving corporate answers and being smug, which is what he does. Bobby doesn't suffer fools and so the media doesn't really engage with him that well. Hayes definitely knows more about the NBA than the other two, but really not much at all.

Part of the reason why I could see MLSE thinking Casey makes sense is that he has all the time in the world for the media and he's already built a rapport with all of them. It gives MLSE a convenient shield. He can also be the guy that has that tough conversation with a player, like Masai did with Lowry.

The sad part is that during Casey's tenure it seemed like Masai had to keep saving Casey from himself.

Letting Bargnani do what he wants with no accountability and playing him over guys like JV and Ed Davis, and Masai trades Bargnani.

Letting Rudy Gay chuck the ball and even ban stat sheets in the locker room and Masai trades him.

Overplaying Carroll over better options like Ross and Powell and Masai trades Carroll.

Overplaying Lou Will and letting him chuck like an idiot and Masai does not resign Lou Will.

Letting Lowry and Demar play hero ball and Masai had to step in elevating Nurse as the offensive decision-maker and openly talking about reducing unselfishness.

Masai was the one who had stern talks with Lowry getting him to shape up, not Casey. If anything I saw Casey as someone who would let his "star" players do whatever they wanted with little to no accountability. I will always remember that Bargnani 2/17 night where Casey continued to play him and give him the ball, and reports asked why he did this and he basically said well Bargnani is the star that will play "come hell or high water."

https://torontosun.com/2012/11/25/raptors-lose-another-heart-breaker

In a game where almost all of Toronto's key offensive contributers couldn't find the bottom of the basket — Bargnani chief among them — the decision to go back to the team's best shooter having his worst day came down to a trust that he would eventually shoot his way out of it...Unfortunately for the Raptors, Bargnani never did, shooting a career worst 2-for-19 including seven misses from three-point territory, many of them unguarded...You can second-guess me for not getting (Davis) back in but I have to go with Andrea," Casey said. "Come hell or high water he is our guy. He just got 34 points (in a loss in Detroit). He was doing a good job on Duncan. You want to second guess me, that's great. Go ahead. That's what I'm here for.

Davis had arguably his best game as a Raptor in this game with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds. Included in that were eight offensive rebounds, a career high for the third-year product out of North Carolina.

Raptors HQ summed it up nicely after:

You can rant and rave about Andrea Bargnani but his play yesterday shouldn't be a shock. Yes, 2 of 19 shooting might have been his worst outing ever, but not by a huge margin. We've seen plenty of 5 of 14 games so it drives me nuts when commentators are chalking this one up to him being way off. He's not Kevin Durant.

This is a player that's shooting 41 per cent on the season, not 53. He had a great shooting night the previous game in Detroit, and an awful one last night. There's a reason the term "regression to the mean" exists, and Andrea's outlier performances (considering he's only about a 43 per cent career FG% guy) put together aren't too far off from his year-to-date field goal mark.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Just for anyone that doesn't listen to that show, they have never liked Bobby. They ridicule him for basically just giving corporate answers and being smug, which is what he does. Bobby doesn't suffer fools and so the media doesn't really engage with him that well. Hayes definitely knows more about the NBA than the other two, but really not much at all.

Part of the reason why I could see MLSE thinking Casey makes sense is that he has all the time in the world for the media and he's already built a rapport with all of them. It gives MLSE a convenient shield. He can also be the guy that has that tough conversation with a player, like Masai did with Lowry.

The sad part is that during Casey's tenure it seemed like Masai had to keep saving Casey from himself.

Letting Bargnani do what he wants with no accountability and playing him over guys like JV and Ed Davis, and Masai trades Bargnani.

Letting Rudy Gay chuck the ball and even ban stat sheets in the locker room and Masai trades him.

Overplaying Carroll over better options like Ross and Powell and Masai trades Carroll.

Overplaying Lou Will and letting him chuck like an idiot and Masai does not resign Lou Will.

Letting Lowry and Demar play hero ball and Masai had to step in elevating Nurse as the offensive decision-maker and openly talking about reducing unselfishness.

Masai was the one who had stern talks with Lowry getting him to shape up, not Casey. If anything I saw Casey as someone who would let his "star" players do whatever they wanted with little to no accountability. I will always remember that Bargnani 2/17 night where Casey continued to play him and give him the ball, and reports asked why he did this and he basically said well Bargnani is the star that will play "come hell or high water."

https://torontosun.com/2012/11/25/raptors-lose-another-heart-breaker

In a game where almost all of Toronto's key offensive contributers couldn't find the bottom of the basket — Bargnani chief among them — the decision to go back to the team's best shooter having his worst day came down to a trust that he would eventually shoot his way out of it...Unfortunately for the Raptors, Bargnani never did, shooting a career worst 2-for-19 including seven misses from three-point territory, many of them unguarded...You can second-guess me for not getting (Davis) back in but I have to go with Andrea," Casey said. "Come hell or high water he is our guy. He just got 34 points (in a loss in Detroit). He was doing a good job on Duncan. You want to second guess me, that's great. Go ahead. That's what I'm here for.

Davis had arguably his best game as a Raptor in this game with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds. Included in that were eight offensive rebounds, a career high for the third-year product out of North Carolina.

The reality is that JV started 57/62 games that year. Bargnani played alongside him in way fewer games. Ed Davis ended up kind of sucking. Colangelo traded him.

Masai signed Carroll to a dumb contract without doing any medical check and got totally boned, it cost him a 1st. That has nothing to do with Casey. It was just that management was insistent on being competitive the year we hosted the all-star game, so they threw money at a couple of culture vets in Carroll and CoJo. They were both awful with the Raptors.

Agreed on letting Rudy Gay ban the stat sheets.

Disagree with overplaying Lou Will. He was one of our best players that year. Again, Masai acquired him. Casey called him out as a bad influence on the room. They moved on.

Disagree on hero ball re Lowry/DeMar. Nurse had control of the offense from day 1 of his hiring, and they shifted many times. It was easily the most successful era in Raptors basketball.

Somewhat agree on letting star players do what they want, but I think he was really good at reigning in role players and keeping the ship pointed in the right direction. We've just watched Scottie Barnes walk all over Darko backwards and forwards and Masai go on record as saying the players he brought in to support Scottie aren't smart enough to play for him. Whatever Masai used to be, he no longer was. It's one thing to go up against someone when they have no leverage, as Kyle did at the time. It's another when you locked them up to a long-term deal. Now, to relate it to Casey and his time here, I think he clearly had a positive influence on DeMar and Kyle.

[WaltFrazier]

Just for anyone that doesn't listen to that show, they have never liked Bobby. They ridicule him for basically just giving corporate answers and being smug, which is what he does. Bobby doesn't suffer fools and so the media doesn't really engage with him that well. Hayes definitely knows more about the NBA than the other two, but really not much at all.

Part of the reason why I could see MLSE thinking Casey makes sense is that he has all the time in the world for the media and he's already built a rapport with all of them. It gives MLSE a convenient shield. He can also be the guy that has that tough conversation with a player, like Masai did with Lowry.

Do we know anything specific about what Casey actually did in the Detroit FO?. I know his title was fuzzy, or non existent, but are there any reports or player relations, scouting decisions, input on coach Monty being fired, etc? Is there anything to go on at all, in terms of front office work as opposed to coaching?

[MavCarter]

Just for anyone that doesn't listen to that show, they have never liked Bobby. They ridicule him for basically just giving corporate answers and being smug, which is what he does. Bobby doesn't suffer fools and so the media doesn't really engage with him that well. Hayes definitely knows more about the NBA than the other two, but really not much at all.

Part of the reason why I could see MLSE thinking Casey makes sense is that he has all the time in the world for the media and he's already built a rapport with all of them. It gives MLSE a convenient shield. He can also be the guy that has that tough conversation with a player, like Masai did with Lowry.

Do we know anything specific about what Casey actually did in the Detroit FO?. I know his title was fuzzy, or non existent, but are there any reports or player relations, scouting decisions, input on coach Monty being fired, etc? Is there anything to go on at all, in terms of front office work as opposed to coaching?

If casey had any real say he would have been canned when the pistons turned over their front office but somehow he survived. My guess is hes friends with tom gores and gores keeps him around as an “advisor”

[Kreamy]

Just for anyone that doesn't listen to that show, they have never liked Bobby. They ridicule him for basically just giving corporate answers and being smug, which is what he does. Bobby doesn't suffer fools and so the media doesn't really engage with him that well. Hayes definitely knows more about the NBA than the other two, but really not much at all.

Part of the reason why I could see MLSE thinking Casey makes sense is that he has all the time in the world for the media and he's already built a rapport with all of them. It gives MLSE a convenient shield. He can also be the guy that has that tough conversation with a player, like Masai did with Lowry.

Do we know anything specific about what Casey actually did in the Detroit FO?. I know his title was fuzzy, or non existent, but are there any reports or player relations, scouting decisions, input on coach Monty being fired, etc? Is there anything to go on at all, in terms of front office work as opposed to coaching?

When someone doesn't have a title or it's fuzzy, it's because they're in a ceremonial role with no influence. So he probably has no say or sway on anything beyond the occasional question or consultation.

[lolwut]

Just for anyone that doesn't listen to that show, they have never liked Bobby. They ridicule him for basically just giving corporate answers and being smug, which is what he does. Bobby doesn't suffer fools and so the media doesn't really engage with him that well. Hayes definitely knows more about the NBA than the other two, but really not much at all.

Part of the reason why I could see MLSE thinking Casey makes sense is that he has all the time in the world for the media and he's already built a rapport with all of them. It gives MLSE a convenient shield. He can also be the guy that has that tough conversation with a player, like Masai did with Lowry.

Do we know anything specific about what Casey actually did in the Detroit FO?. I know his title was fuzzy, or non existent, but are there any reports or player relations, scouting decisions, input on coach Monty being fired, etc? Is there anything to go on at all, in terms of front office work as opposed to coaching?

When someone doesn't have a title or it's fuzzy, it's because they're in a ceremonial role with no influence. So he probably has no say or sway on anything beyond the occasional question or consultation.

That was my read as well. He transitioned from head coach to a mysterious "front office role", and nobody seems to know what exactly he does in that role. It's almost like he was fired as head coach but still stayed on the payroll.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Just for anyone that doesn't listen to that show, they have never liked Bobby. They ridicule him for basically just giving corporate answers and being smug, which is what he does. Bobby doesn't suffer fools and so the media doesn't really engage with him that well. Hayes definitely knows more about the NBA than the other two, but really not much at all.

Part of the reason why I could see MLSE thinking Casey makes sense is that he has all the time in the world for the media and he's already built a rapport with all of them. It gives MLSE a convenient shield. He can also be the guy that has that tough conversation with a player, like Masai did with Lowry.

Do we know anything specific about what Casey actually did in the Detroit FO?. I know his title was fuzzy, or non existent, but are there any reports or player relations, scouting decisions, input on coach Monty being fired, etc? Is there anything to go on at all, in terms of front office work as opposed to coaching?

When someone doesn't have a title or it's fuzzy, it's because they're in a ceremonial role with no influence. So he probably has no say or sway on anything beyond the occasional question or consultation.

You can still have a fancy title and have no power. In Casey's situation I think they just ran out his coaching contract as an executive and then probably kept him on because he was good to have around.

[WuTang_CMB]

doug

https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/the-raptors-are-expected-to-hire-masai-ujiris-replacement-soon-here-are-five-candidates/article_88562537-6c9e-468c-b5b9-4756651f68b7.html

The dog days of the NBA off-season have truly arrived.

The schedule is out, most every free-agent transaction of significance has been completed, the summer leagues are finished, and everyone is ready to take a deep breath before ramping up for the 2025-26 season in a month or so.

Except in Toronto, where the Raptors are still figuring how and when to fill a vital front office opening created in June when ownership cashiered its successful, long-serving president, Masai Ujiri, in a surprising move a day after the draft.

So where is Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in its search for Ujiri’s replacement? Who is on the wish list the organization might have? When could an announcement come?

No one is publicly discussing the process — hardly surprising for any multibillion dollar enterprise with a major leadership role to fill — but reading tea leaves and chatting privately with those who know tidbits provides a few answers.

It’s expected someone will be in the job well before the opening of training camp in late September, perhaps right before, or just after, Labour Day weekend.

MLSE and the search firm helping with the process have had several interviews that began in Las Vegas around the Summer League season and included an MLSE retreat led by Edward Rogers earlier this month.

No firm decision has been made but several sources involved at various levels suggest a move will be coming soon.

The job has piqued the interest of dozens of current and past NBA executives because there are only 30 jobs like it on Earth. When one comes open, there is a frenzy to at least investigate the possibilities.

Agents for people already employed make back-channel entreaties, former executives wanting to get back in the game will seize any chance that exists, ladder-climbing front office employees see a chance to advance and spread their wings of responsibility.

What the job precisely entails, what compensation it comes with and how much autonomy is included will play into the discussions.

When Ujiri’s departure was made public, according to MLSE chief executive Keith Pelley, ownership was OK with where the franchise was in its climb back into Eastern Conference relevance. The new leader, Pelley said, would be a basketball person solely.

The feeling around the NBA is that MLSE doesn’t need to hit a public relations home run but wants a solid, knowledgeable basketball person to take the helm.

There are a few who seem to have moved to the front of the queue; the “when” is what’s left to be determined. Here are some names:




Bobby Webster
Got a box? The team’s current general manager checks it.

Familiar with the challenges of the market? Been there. Part of a championship process? Done that. Can navigate the league waters? More than a decade with the team, years before that in the NBA front office. Seamless continuation a roster reboot that has already begun? Duh.

In pretty much every conversation with league sources the question is framed in some way: “Why don’t they just do the logical thing: Move Bobby up and fill in behind him?”

Hard to argue with that but if ownership is bent to fully divorce itself from the previous leadership, the easiest way would be to hire from outside, even if that might cost the team all kinds of ancillary departures. And does MLSE ownership, which went to lengths to suggest the process is going on well, really have the appetite to blow things up further?

Dwane Casey
There is near universal respect for Casey around the NBA; his decades of service have touched all imaginable levels of the game.

Casey understands and appreciates the place the Raptors — and by extension MLSE — hold among fans across the country. He lived it through his years as Toronto’s head coach and if the organization wants someone at the top to willingly work as a spokesman to grow the brand, there’s no one more familiar with the task.



Whether he’s mastered the front-office minutia needed — salary cap management, the business end of the operation, the away-from-the-game aspects — may be a concern to some but any leader knows well enough to put a team together to iron out the wrinkles and Casey’s leadership skills are undeniable.

Coming back to work for an organization that fired him is another interesting dynamic. But Casey’s feelings toward Canada, and the Raptors, would be strong enough to overcome any lingering enmity.

His was one of the names that first popped up when Ujiri left, there’s no reason to think it’s not still there.



Marc Eversley
The Brampton native has been immersed in the NBA front office milieu for about 20 years and if that vast experience hasn’t at least got him on a very short list, MLSE has fallen down on the job.

Currently the general manager of the Chicago Bulls, Eversley started with Bryan Colangelo in Toronto in the mid-2000s and worked in Washington and Philadelphia before Arturas Karnisovas took him to Chicago as his No. 2 in 2020. It’s an impressive resumé .

His Canadian roots should help, too. And if MLSE wants to lean into that, it should. Eversley has continued to play a significant role on the board of Canada Basketball and has been a strong proponent of Canadian players since his days as a rep with Nike more than two decades ago.

It is incomprehensible that MLSE wouldn’t at least have a chat to see what his vision for the Raptors might be.



Kevin Pritchard
If you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em? The Indiana Pacers president has been linked to the same job with the Raptors through the summer, and it’s logical. Pritchard has overseen a successful growth path with the Pacers, the current Eastern Conference champions, who have a balanced, not-too-expensive roster that works.

But Pritchard has a year left on his deal in Indiana, it would be a lateral move, and Toronto would have to sweeten things for Pacers ownership to accept. There are those around the league who wonder if there isn’t just a bit of leverage-creation attached to the discussions.

Still, it’s a name everyone heard immediately and there’s no reason to think the interest isn’t legitimate.

Bob Myers
An executive who basically oversaw the creation of the league’s latest dynasties — four championships under his leadership of the Golden State Warriors — automatically deserves consideration.


And maybe it’s pie in the eye — a couple of sources are sure Myers is content with a media gig while waiting for a Los Angeles job to somehow come open — but why wouldn’t MLSE dream big?

Myers would be expensive, probably north of Ujiri’s price tag (reportedly around $15 million a year), and that’s a contract ownership might not be interested in carrying over, say, a five-year term. But if MLSE’s is trolling for a big name, Myers might be the biggest out there.

The others

No one is sure how deep MLSE is going. Would they look at home and outside the box at ex-MLSE executive and current Canada Basketball CEO Michael Bartlett? Would a long-time NBA exec and homegrown talent like Glen Grunwald earn a look? How about ex-NBA executives like Monte McNair (Sacramento), David Griffin (Cleveland, New Orleans) or even James Jones (Phoenix)?

To be sure, there are a plethora of people looking for the job and MLSE’s due diligence has been significant.

[JB7]

doug

https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/the-raptors-are-expected-to-hire-masai-ujiris-replacement-soon-here-are-five-candidates/article_88562537-6c9e-468c-b5b9-4756651f68b7.html

The dog days of the NBA off-season have truly arrived.

The schedule is out, most every free-agent transaction of significance has been completed, the summer leagues are finished, and everyone is ready to take a deep breath before ramping up for the 2025-26 season in a month or so.

Except in Toronto, where the Raptors are still figuring how and when to fill a vital front office opening created in June when ownership cashiered its successful, long-serving president, Masai Ujiri, in a surprising move a day after the draft.

So where is Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in its search for Ujiri’s replacement? Who is on the wish list the organization might have? When could an announcement come?

No one is publicly discussing the process — hardly surprising for any multibillion dollar enterprise with a major leadership role to fill — but reading tea leaves and chatting privately with those who know tidbits provides a few answers.

It’s expected someone will be in the job well before the opening of training camp in late September, perhaps right before, or just after, Labour Day weekend.

MLSE and the search firm helping with the process have had several interviews that began in Las Vegas around the Summer League season and included an MLSE retreat led by Edward Rogers earlier this month.

No firm decision has been made but several sources involved at various levels suggest a move will be coming soon.

The job has piqued the interest of dozens of current and past NBA executives because there are only 30 jobs like it on Earth. When one comes open, there is a frenzy to at least investigate the possibilities.

Agents for people already employed make back-channel entreaties, former executives wanting to get back in the game will seize any chance that exists, ladder-climbing front office employees see a chance to advance and spread their wings of responsibility.

What the job precisely entails, what compensation it comes with and how much autonomy is included will play into the discussions.

When Ujiri’s departure was made public, according to MLSE chief executive Keith Pelley, ownership was OK with where the franchise was in its climb back into Eastern Conference relevance. The new leader, Pelley said, would be a basketball person solely.

The feeling around the NBA is that MLSE doesn’t need to hit a public relations home run but wants a solid, knowledgeable basketball person to take the helm.

There are a few who seem to have moved to the front of the queue; the “when” is what’s left to be determined. Here are some names:




Bobby Webster
Got a box? The team’s current general manager checks it.

Familiar with the challenges of the market? Been there. Part of a championship process? Done that. Can navigate the league waters? More than a decade with the team, years before that in the NBA front office. Seamless continuation a roster reboot that has already begun? Duh.

In pretty much every conversation with league sources the question is framed in some way: “Why don’t they just do the logical thing: Move Bobby up and fill in behind him?”

Hard to argue with that but if ownership is bent to fully divorce itself from the previous leadership, the easiest way would be to hire from outside, even if that might cost the team all kinds of ancillary departures. And does MLSE ownership, which went to lengths to suggest the process is going on well, really have the appetite to blow things up further?

Dwane Casey
There is near universal respect for Casey around the NBA; his decades of service have touched all imaginable levels of the game.

Casey understands and appreciates the place the Raptors — and by extension MLSE — hold among fans across the country. He lived it through his years as Toronto’s head coach and if the organization wants someone at the top to willingly work as a spokesman to grow the brand, there’s no one more familiar with the task.



Whether he’s mastered the front-office minutia needed — salary cap management, the business end of the operation, the away-from-the-game aspects — may be a concern to some but any leader knows well enough to put a team together to iron out the wrinkles and Casey’s leadership skills are undeniable.

Coming back to work for an organization that fired him is another interesting dynamic. But Casey’s feelings toward Canada, and the Raptors, would be strong enough to overcome any lingering enmity.

His was one of the names that first popped up when Ujiri left, there’s no reason to think it’s not still there.



Marc Eversley
The Brampton native has been immersed in the NBA front office milieu for about 20 years and if that vast experience hasn’t at least got him on a very short list, MLSE has fallen down on the job.

Currently the general manager of the Chicago Bulls, Eversley started with Bryan Colangelo in Toronto in the mid-2000s and worked in Washington and Philadelphia before Arturas Karnisovas took him to Chicago as his No. 2 in 2020. It’s an impressive resumé .

His Canadian roots should help, too. And if MLSE wants to lean into that, it should. Eversley has continued to play a significant role on the board of Canada Basketball and has been a strong proponent of Canadian players since his days as a rep with Nike more than two decades ago.

It is incomprehensible that MLSE wouldn’t at least have a chat to see what his vision for the Raptors might be.



Kevin Pritchard
If you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em? The Indiana Pacers president has been linked to the same job with the Raptors through the summer, and it’s logical. Pritchard has overseen a successful growth path with the Pacers, the current Eastern Conference champions, who have a balanced, not-too-expensive roster that works.

But Pritchard has a year left on his deal in Indiana, it would be a lateral move, and Toronto would have to sweeten things for Pacers ownership to accept. There are those around the league who wonder if there isn’t just a bit of leverage-creation attached to the discussions.

Still, it’s a name everyone heard immediately and there’s no reason to think the interest isn’t legitimate.

Bob Myers
An executive who basically oversaw the creation of the league’s latest dynasties — four championships under his leadership of the Golden State Warriors — automatically deserves consideration.


And maybe it’s pie in the eye — a couple of sources are sure Myers is content with a media gig while waiting for a Los Angeles job to somehow come open — but why wouldn’t MLSE dream big?

Myers would be expensive, probably north of Ujiri’s price tag (reportedly around $15 million a year), and that’s a contract ownership might not be interested in carrying over, say, a five-year term. But if MLSE’s is trolling for a big name, Myers might be the biggest out there.

The others

No one is sure how deep MLSE is going. Would they look at home and outside the box at ex-MLSE executive and current Canada Basketball CEO Michael Bartlett? Would a long-time NBA exec and homegrown talent like Glen Grunwald earn a look? How about ex-NBA executives like Monte McNair (Sacramento), David Griffin (Cleveland, New Orleans) or even James Jones (Phoenix)?

To be sure, there are a plethora of people looking for the job and MLSE’s due diligence has been significant.

Makes you wonder if the reason they don't want to give the position to Bobby, is he is too closely linked to Masai, so any success the team has this year gets credited directly back to Masai.

[causal_fan]

I'd vote for Marc Eversley - I like how he's not rolled over in the Josh Giddey negotiations (unlike the Raptors FO with IQ/SB/BI) and he's Canadian to boot.

[Raptors Realtor]

doug

https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/the-raptors-are-expected-to-hire-masai-ujiris-replacement-soon-here-are-five-candidates/article_88562537-6c9e-468c-b5b9-4756651f68b7.html

There are a few who seem to have moved to the front of the queue; the “when” is what’s left to be determined. Here are some names:

Bobby Webster
Got a box? The team’s current general manager checks it.

Familiar with the challenges of the market? Been there. Part of a championship process? Done that. Can navigate the league waters? More than a decade with the team, years before that in the NBA front office. Seamless continuation a roster reboot that has already begun? Duh.

In pretty much every conversation with league sources the question is framed in some way: “Why don’t they just do the logical thing: Move Bobby up and fill in behind him?”

Hard to argue with that but if ownership is bent to fully divorce itself from the previous leadership, the easiest way would be to hire from outside, even if that might cost the team all kinds of ancillary departures. And does MLSE ownership, which went to lengths to suggest the process is going on well, really have the appetite to blow things up further?

Dwane Casey
There is near universal respect for Casey around the NBA; his decades of service have touched all imaginable levels of the game.

Casey understands and appreciates the place the Raptors — and by extension MLSE — hold among fans across the country. He lived it through his years as Toronto’s head coach and if the organization wants someone at the top to willingly work as a spokesman to grow the brand, there’s no one more familiar with the task.

Whether he’s mastered the front-office minutia needed — salary cap management, the business end of the operation, the away-from-the-game aspects — may be a concern to some but any leader knows well enough to put a team together to iron out the wrinkles and Casey’s leadership skills are undeniable.

Coming back to work for an organization that fired him is another interesting dynamic. But Casey’s feelings toward Canada, and the Raptors, would be strong enough to overcome any lingering enmity.

His was one of the names that first popped up when Ujiri left, there’s no reason to think it’s not still there.

Marc Eversley
The Brampton native has been immersed in the NBA front office milieu for about 20 years and if that vast experience hasn’t at least got him on a very short list, MLSE has fallen down on the job.

Currently the general manager of the Chicago Bulls, Eversley started with Bryan Colangelo in Toronto in the mid-2000s and worked in Washington and Philadelphia before Arturas Karnisovas took him to Chicago as his No. 2 in 2020. It’s an impressive resumé .

His Canadian roots should help, too. And if MLSE wants to lean into that, it should. Eversley has continued to play a significant role on the board of Canada Basketball and has been a strong proponent of Canadian players since his days as a rep with Nike more than two decades ago.

It is incomprehensible that MLSE wouldn’t at least have a chat to see what his vision for the Raptors might be.

Having Casey and Eversley in the conversation removes any credibilty Ed Rogers, Keith Pelley and higher ups at MLSE may have left... What a massive downgrade that would be to go from Masai to one of those guys.

I remember pre-draft there was a Masai thread and a few were consistently very adamant that Masai should be fired, and I asked those guys (Scase, Randle McMurphy, Boogie, Del Abbott, etc) repeatedly who they would replace him with, and not one could/would come up with a suggestion... I presume they might walk back their disdain for Masai if one of Casey or Eversley gets hired.

[Raps in 4]

doug

https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/the-raptors-are-expected-to-hire-masai-ujiris-replacement-soon-here-are-five-candidates/article_88562537-6c9e-468c-b5b9-4756651f68b7.html

I jokingly said Ed would bring back BC when he fired Masai. Seems like he wants to do that but can't due to the optics, so he's targeting his former hires instead. The Raptors aren't winning anything until Ed dies or sells the team. Unfortunately, he's only 56.

[Raptors Realtor]

I'd vote for Marc Eversley - I like how he's not rolled over in the Josh Giddey negotiations (unlike the Raptors FO with IQ/SB/BI) and he's Canadian to boot.

I personally don't want Eversley, he's been absolutely terrible in Chicago. People complaining about Masai holding onto assets too long, how about mismanaging the 36 year old Vucevic. His vision and roster construction has been horrendous, and his drafting has been questionable at best.

[Raps in 4]

I'd vote for Marc Eversley - I like how he's not rolled over in the Josh Giddey negotiations (unlike the Raptors FO with IQ/SB/BI) and he's Canadian to boot.

I personally don't want Eversley, he's been absolutely terrible in Chicago. People complaining about Masai holding onto assets too long, how about mismanaging the 36 year old Vucevic. His vision and roster construction has been horrendous, and his drafting has been questionable also.

Yeah, he's terrible.

[ForeverTFC]

I'd vote for Marc Eversley - I like how he's not rolled over in the Josh Giddey negotiations (unlike the Raptors FO with IQ/SB/BI) and he's Canadian to boot.

Living up to your name, eh?