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Recently, the Toronto Raptors surprised many in the NBA world by moving on from general manager Masai Ujiri, who helped them win the NBA championship in 2019 by trading for Kawhi Leonard. In the years since then, the Raptors have been mired in mediocrity, which may have motivated them to look for a new voice to lead their front office.
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and the Raptors still have not found a replacement for their long-time general manager, which has been the source of some angst in the organization.
“Everybody is scared,” said one anonymous team source, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN. “The closer you are to the top, the more you feel it.”
Lewenberg also reported that “the nervous energy is palpable” within the organization as more potential changes lurk on the horizon.
The Raptors have one of the more confusing roster situations currently in the NBA. They have a ton of money devoted to players like RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, who are solid rotational pieces but not anywhere close to stars. Meanwhile, former All-Star Scottie Barnes is with the team long-term on a maximum contract, but it's still unclear if he is good enough to be the best player on a contending team.
At the trade deadline last year, the Raptors went out and acquired Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans and have since extended his contract. While Ingram is certainly a capable scorer, there's still a sense that the Raptors' roster is the NBA's version of the Island of Misfit Toys rather than a real threat, even in the weakened Eastern Conference.
Whoever the Raptors do end up selecting as their new general manager will have some work to do to get the team out of the NBA version of purgatory.
The 2025-26 Raptors season is slated to begin in late October.
