The Toronto Raptors made a shocking move on Friday as they parted ways with Masai Ujiri, who was entering the final year of his contract as president and vice chairman of the team. Ujiri was an extremely well-regarded basketball executive, so the Raptors’ parent company — Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment — letting him go was a surprise. We may have some understanding of why they made the move.
According to Kevin O’Connor, the Raptors’ parent company felt Ujiri was overloaded and spread too thin.
“They felt like Masai was stretched too thin with Basketball Without Borders, his non-profit Giants of Africa,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor added that he felt it was weird for the Raptors to keep Ujiri on through the draft and then let him go.
What went wrong between Masai Ujiri and the Raptors? 🤔 @KevinOConnorNBA and @tomhaberstroh discuss the sudden firing that came just a day after the NBA Draft.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 27, 2025
(via The Kevin O'Connor Show)
🍎: https://t.co/nzhsAPgYvY
✳️: https://t.co/grArwFMMGD pic.twitter.com/g6m8zQdXFL
Ujiri was born in the United Kingdom but was raised in Nigeria. He has been active with Basketball Without Borders, which is an NBA program that promotes basketball in Africa. His non-profit Giants of Africa similarly looks to promote basketball in the continent.
Ujiri was named the NBA Executive of the Year in 2013. He helped the Raptors win the championship in 2019 after boldly acquiring Kawhi Leonard in a trade with the Spurs.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a new owner, which could make Ujiri a very interesting possible target for the team.
