After being bounced in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers, the Raptors didn’t add a first-round pick, didn’t make any flashy trades, and didn’t sign a high-profile free agent. Their most notable addition is unremarkable backup his forward Otto Porter Jr. on the other hand, Boston Celtics Trade Malcolm Brogdon, 76ers signing PJ Tucker When The Brooklyn Nets are in turmoil Thanks to Durant and Kyrie Irving.
John Wooden advised not to mistake activity for achievement. The opposite is true here. Don’t confuse Toronto’s lack of activity with failure. Some franchises remain idle because they are paralyzed by lack of resources or vision.
Toronto’s 52-year-old president came out of nowhere with lasting success. Prior to Ujiri, the Raptors had only managed four season wins and one playoff series victory since their inception in 1995. Under Ujiri, the Raptors have eight winning seasons, nine playoff series wins, and a 2019 championship. This equates to 33 wins in an 82-game season. Under Ujiri, Toronto won the .625 clip. This equates to his 51-win pace.
Ujiri’s only losing season came in 2020-2021, when the franchise was forced to relocate to Tampa due to coronavirus travel restrictions. But even with that temporary adversity, he still creates a decade of wins as Ujiri defies conventional wisdom by taking Scotty Barnes with his fourth pick in the 2021 draft. There is a possibility. The 21-year-old Barnes was quickly named Rookie of the Year and was mentioned as a star candidate for a Durant deal. Assuming Barnes stays, he could one day rival DeMar his DeRozan as the most popular homegrown his player in Toronto history.
Choosing Barnes only furthered Ujiri’s claim as the NBA’s top executive. Like a five-hit Tour baseball player, Ujiri displayed a complete game. He can draft at the top (Barnes) and dig up hidden gems under the board (Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Norman Powell). He can win blockbuster deals (Kawhi Leonard) and clever sales (Andrea Bargnani). He can find and nurture future stars in free agency (Fred VanVleet). And he can fill a title-worthy rotation with targeted additions (Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol).
Ujiri also has charisma, guts and a keen eye for talent, helping the Raptors return to winning ways despite losing Leonard in 2019 and franchise guard Kyle Lowry last summer. A rare combination of skills that helped
In addition to the Leonard trade, a hallmark move during Ujiri’s tenure was the firing of Dwayne Casey shortly after being named Coach of the Year in 2018, leading to a 2019 title run and a 2020 coach of the year. Replacing Nick Nurse, who won Coach of the Year. Players and colleagues attest to Ujiri’s big heart, but emotions don’t overshadow his vision. Casey was popular and experienced, but it didn’t work out. Ujiri stuck his neck out for Nurse, who has never been an NBA head coach.
In hindsight, Ujiri weighed Casey’s decision so carefully that the risk wasn’t as serious as it seemed to outsiders. The same is true for the Leonard trade that took place before the 2019 Finals MVP was bolted to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency. Leonard’s refusal to re-sign was once seen as a reason for teams to avoid trading him in 2018, but it did little to devastate the Raptors, and in fact, Toronto won the following season as an Eastern member of his conference team. won the second seed.
What’s so interesting about Ujiri’s current status is Toronto’s endless options. There are no bad deals on the Raptors’ salary cap sheet. They own all of their future first-round picks. Their core group consists of players under his 30s. They have Siakam and VanVleet. An All-Star in his prime and now capable of leading a winning season. And then there’s Burns, an up-and-coming superstar who will be the next generation. Additionally, their roster has a thoroughly modern identity built on an athletic, active and interchangeable line-up.
The Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are the favorites to win the East preseason title. Boston has the most talented collection in the conference, and Milwaukee has the best player in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Looking further ahead, both teams should enjoy an extended championship runway thanks to relatively young players in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Antetokounmpo.
But Toronto appears to be in a unique position among the conference’s second-tier teams, a sleeping giant that could challenge Boston or Milwaukee over time. The Nets, 76ers and Miami Heat are already dealing with key player declines as they age, with all three teams piling up cumbersome contracts and sacrificing future draft assets to secure current positions. increase.
Ujiri doesn’t have a headliner to match Durant, Joel Embiid or Jimmy Butler, but given the looming headaches of Brooklyn’s Sean Marks, Philadelphia’s Darryl Morey, or Miami’s Pat Riley, he’s not. would agree to trade spots.
If Ujiri wants to replicate the Leonard trade and chase the 2023 title, he can almost certainly build Durant’s unbeatable return package. If instead you decide to focus solely on building around Burns, he could wait a year or two before you can package up picks and contracts to get a top shelf sidekick. If Ujiri chooses to share the difference, he can pay to keep his current core, but bet on extra seasoning, a Barnes breakthrough and a few small moves around the edge. can produce deep playoff runs that span years.
That’s why it’s best to view Toronto’s halcyon summer as a prelude. When Ujiri sits on his hands, a reasonable reaction is to wonder what tricks he’s hiding up his sleeve.
