Masai Ujiri to remain with Toronto Raptors: ‘I’m here to stay’

Toronto’s beloved front office executive is staying put for the foreseeable future.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, longtime Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri has agreed to a “significant” new contract to remain with the organization.

Wojnarowski reports Ujiri will become Vice Chairman and remain as the team’s President of Basketball Operations.

I've said it before, and I am saying it again.

We will win in Toronto.

– Masai pic.twitter.com/KJ64UwjZPo

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) August 5, 2021

“I love being the leader of the Toronto Raptors, and I am here to stay,” Ujiri said through a team statement and video.

Ujiri’s status with the Raptors was ambiguous for months, with his contract set to expire this year. There was always a sense of anxiousness that another team could swoop in. The Washington Wizards, for example, made a run at Ujiri in the past, and there was industry speculation that if the Los Angeles Clippers had been knocked out of the playoffs as quickly as last season, standing pat would have required more patience than Steve Ballmer – the wealthiest owner in professional sports – could muster.

Terms of Ujiri’s new contract have not been released.

“Home. What does home mean to you? For me, home is where it all starts,” Ujiri said. “…Toronto, you inspire me. We have missed you. We can’t wait to be back. Your resilience has been unbelievable. I know it’s been tough. You came together to fight a virus. Together, we are facing the truths of racial injustice and systemic inequality.”

Ujiri, widely considered one of the best executives in the NBA, arrived in Toronto in 2013 after winning NBA Executive of the Year honours as the general manager of the Denver Nuggets and helped transform the Raptors into an NBA contender and global franchise.

He kept Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan in Toronto through multiple contract extensions and was the architect of the trade that sent Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors en route to the 2019 NBA title.

The news comes less than a day after Lowry bid a heartfelt goodbye to the city after nine seasons with the Raptors.

RELATED: ‘Thank u for everything’: Lowry pens emotional farewell Instagram post

The Raptors have won six division titles to go along with seven playoff appearances under Ujiri’s watch, eclipsing the 50-win mark on five separate occasions.

“There’s a lot more work to be done,” Ujiri adds in the video. “On the court, our goal is clear. Win. It’s simple. Win. Bring another championship to Toronto… We will bring young talent to this city and continue to build with our unbelievable players. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: We will win in Toronto.”

In 2003, Ujiri founded Giants of Africa to discover basketball talent. The first Giants of Africa camp was held in Nigeria.

Ujiri has served as director of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Africa program, promoting basketball throughout the continent.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead this team. I love being the leader of the Toronto Raptors and I am here to stay.”