After Raptors Part Ways With President Masai Ujiri, How Will The Team Rebuild?

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by James Van WicklerJuly 17, 2025, 1:00 am >

The Toronto Raptors will have a new face calling the shots in 2026 as they are parting ways with vice chairman and president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri. The 54-year-old has been serving in his current role since 2016 and was entering the final year of his contract.

The team is retaining key front office personnel, including General Manager Bobby Webster, while the search for Ujiri’s replacement begins.

“During his 13 seasons with the Raptors, Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it,” MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement. “He brought an NBA Championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done and wish him and his family the very best.”

“We are confident that the Raptors organization, under the guidance of Bobby and his team, is in a great place,” Pelly added. “They have a plan in place for next season and beyond as the team continues its rebuild, and we have confidence in their ability to execute and ultimately, to excel.”

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The move came just a day after the conclusion of the 2025 draft, with the Raptors seeking to dig out of a 30-52 hole this season. The team’s 2025 performance was actually a slight improvement from a 25-57 slog in 2024.

That’s a far cry from the Raptors’ glory days of the 2010s, during which Ujiri played a significant role. The team won 50 or more games every year from 2017 to 2020 and won 48 games in 2022. Ujiri’s risky trade for forward Kawhi Leonard in the summer of 2018 is considered one of the boldest in modern times, paying off handsomely in the form of the 2019 championship.

A native of Bournemouth, England, with roots in Kenya and Nigeria, as well as a naturalized Canadian citizen, Ujiri was the first African general manager in North American sports.