Kyle Lowry is set to become a free agent this summer, but his contract may not be the one the Toronto Raptors are most concerned about. President of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is also facing an uncertain future with the franchise, and ownership desperately wants to keep him.
Ujiri was asked by reporters on Tuesday about his expiring contract. He had nothing new to offer but said he is giving his future some “deep thought” as he and the Raptors get set to negotiate.
“We just finished (the season), so at some point, (I’ll) get with ownership here and sit down and talk … We’re going to weigh a few of the options and just give this thing some deep thought now as I go through this process,” Ujiri said, via Blake Murphy of The Athletic.
While his contract is set to expire later this year, Ujiri made it clear that he is still committed to finding a way to turn the Raptors back into a championship contender. He said he will have “a lot of asks” of ownership in terms of building a competitor, but he believes Toronto’s front office is all on the same page.
Ujiri confirms he has freedom to go into the luxury tax when they're in a position to win. When he talks about lifting the franchise, it goes beyond just tax spending. Infrastructure, advocacy with league, etc.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) May 19, 2021
Raptors owner Larry Tanenbaum has said numerous times that he wants Ujiri to remain with the franchise. Ujiri has given no real indication that he wants to leave the Raptors, though other teams are said to be preparing massive offers for him.
Ujiri is widely considered to be one of the best executives in the NBA. He has rebuilt the Raptors multiple times and helped them win an NBA title two years ago. If he wants a new challenge, there will be plenty of opportunities. At this point, however, there is no reason to believe he is seeking one.
