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The Toronto Raptors have cut ties with Masai Ujiri after more than a decade

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Jun 27 2025, 1:23 pm
The Toronto Raptors have cut ties with Masai Ujiri after more than a decade
John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images

The Masai Ujiri era with the Toronto Raptors is over.

As per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Raptors and Ujiri have decided to part ways.

The news comes less than a day after the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Draft. While Ujiri was on site with the Raptors’ war room for the event, he did not make any public media appearances, with team general manager Bobby Webster and assistant GM Dan Tolzman instead handling those instances.

Ujiri originally joined the Raptors in 2007 before leaving for a job with the Denver Nuggets in 2008. He then rejoined the Raptors in 2013 as general manager, became team president in 2016, and was a key factor in helping lead them to the 2019 NBA title.

Ujiri is the third major Toronto sports president to depart their role under MLSE CEO Keith Pelley, who started with the organization in April 2024. Last month, former Leafs Brendan Shanahan saw his contract go unrenewed, having started with the organization in 2014, while Bill Manning left his roles with Toronto FC and the Toronto Argonauts in July 2024, starting with the organization in 2015.

While we don’t know the reasons behind the two sides parting ways, it is a departure from Ujiri’s initial plans to be a “lifetime” member of the Raptors when he renewed his contract in 2021.

Ujiri garnered a reputation for never being shy to speak his mind, perhaps best introducing himself to the broader Canadian sports scene before a 2014 playoff game against the Brooklyn Nets. Talking to the crowd outside Scotiabank Arena at an outdoor watch party, Ujiri uttered a now-iconic “F*** Brooklyn” chant that became a rallying cry for the fan base throughout that series.

While Ujiri holds a legendary status in the city for his ability to deliver Toronto a championship, his status with the fanbase has declined in recent seasons. Since their 2019 title, the Raptors have won just a single playoff round and have missed out on the playoffs entirely in each of the last three seasons.

It is unclear what the next move will be for Ujiri, but he should have a plethora of suitors for his services. In the meantime, he’s likely back to planning his annual Giants of Africa festival, set to take place in Kigali, Rwanda, next month.

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