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The biggest story of the offseason for the Toronto Raptors occurred when the team parted ways with team president Masai Ujiri. Ujiri hadn't always landed with his big swings, but he did play a major role in delivering the franchise its only championship by trading for Kawhi Leonard in 2018.
The Raptors still have yet to pick a new replacement for the team president role, but recently, Michael Grange of Sportsnet reported that the team could be looking to promote someone from in house.
“A number of league insiders I have spoken with believe that the team’s general manager, Bobby Webster, is the leading candidate for the role,' reported Grange. “‘Bobby’s to lose' was a line I heard around Las Vegas, though how much of that was informed speculation and how much was deductive reasoning — Webster is a well-liked and well-respected executive both within the MLSE and across the NBA, so why mess with it? — was hard to discern.”
Grange also reported that “Webster is interested in the job, which is the first step.”
An intriguing Raptors team
The Raptors don't have nearly enough talent on their roster to justify their current status as one of the most expensive payrolls in the NBA, but they should be able to take a considerable step up on the court from where they have been the last couple of seasons.
Last year, the Raptors traded for New Orleans Pelicans wing Brandon Ingram, and although Ingram has yet to play a game for Toronto due to injury, they still signed him to an extension to stay with the franchise.
Toronto is hoping for another step forward for Scottie Barnes this year after he stagnated a bit in 2024-25, and there's also room for growth for young players like Gradey Dick.
That, combined with solid guard and wing play from Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, could be enough to vault the Raptors into the playoff mix, especially considering the current state of the Eastern Conference.
Still, it's a bit hard to tell what the long-term plan is for the Raptors, and what their next president will do about the financial nightmare he or she will inherit.
