Tag: Masai Ujiri

Either way, decisions will have to be …

Either way, decisions will have to be made on the front office after the season. Both Mills and GM Scott Perry have separate mutual contract options for next season, according to a source, meaning they’d have to be picked up by both themselves and the Knicks to return. Dolan would love to pry Masai Ujiri out of Toronto, but there’s skepticism it can done with the team president under contract. Such a deal would be very complicated if the Raptors play hardball. Another name being mentioned around the league is Thunder president Sam Presti. Rockets president Daryl Morey is expected to be a free agent but is saddled with the China controversy. According to ESPN, Morey’s tweet supporting Hong Kong cost the NBA between $150 million and $200 million in Chinese-driven revenue. The league can say whatever for PR purposes but the preference is Morey’s departure.

On the NBA Africa League… Giannis: “I …

On the NBA Africa League… Giannis: “I didn’t know much about it – it’s amazing! I heard about it earlier in the season and being able to watch games in Africa is amazing. We were able to play in the NBA Africa Game in 2015 and the people in Africa love basketball – there’s so much talent in Africa. I’ve spoken with Masai [Ujiri] and he’s going to do some big things – I’m sure he’s part of this league so I’m really excited to find out more things about it and hopefully we can play a regular season game in Africa as well.”

With the NBA trade deadline looming …

With the NBA trade deadline looming Feb. 6, rumours are rampant on social media, but the Toronto Raptors president warned not to read too much into phone calls. “Every day there’s phone calls in the NBA, that’s just how the NBA works,” he said after speaking at Tuesday’s anniversary celebration of the Toronto branch of WISE — Women in Sports Events. “I was getting phone calls four months ago, I’m getting phone calls today. I got a phone call while I was up there (on stage). There’s always phone calls.”

Do they have another championship run …

Do they have another championship run in them? “We’re going to die trying, that’s for sure. I know those guys and they’re going to die trying. You see them, you see the attitude. I know nobody, not one person here in this place, would tell me that they thought we’d be competing now to be second in the East,” Ujiri said after speaking to a crowd of about 300. “There’s not one person that thought that with a championship player like Kawhi leaving. These guys have stepped up and we appreciate what they’ve done.”

Do you get caught up in that sort of …

Do you get caught up in that sort of chatter at all? I mean this week, we’ve got New York chatter, we’ve got other scenarios (being discussed)… (ESPN reported that Toronto is preserving its 2021 cap space in order to pursue Antetokounmpo, and league-wide rumblings persist that the Knicks want to convince Raptors president Masai Ujiri to head up their front office, in part, because of their belief that he could lure Antetokounmpo their way in free agency – if he ever gets there.) Marc Lasry: That’s great. Whether it sounds dumb or not, I’m very comfortable with the relationship that we have with everybody on this team. And I think at the end of the day, what players want is stable ownership. They want a culture which is focused on winning. They want a coach who they respect. They want to play in a city that they love. It’s what we all want. Let’s be serious. You just want consistency, and you want to know that what you’re being told is reality. So I think as long as we do what we’re supposed to do, everything is going to be fine.

Rumor: Sam Presti could ‘be allowed to leave’ for Knicks

Presti’s name has been mentioned in conjunction with the New York Knicks front office. He’s has been the GM of the Thunder since 2007.

Chris Paul, Steven Adams, and Danilo Gallinari might not be the only members of the Oklahoma City Thunder organization that are rumored to be available.

Executive Vice President and General Manager, Sam Presti, could be as well.

Although clearly not a trade, Presti’s name has been mentioned previously in conjunction with the front office of the New York Knicks, and now, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Presti’s relationship with Thunder owner Clay Bennett is such that Bennett would be “unlikely to block Presti” if he wanted to move on from Oklahoma City.

Bondy hinted at the Knicks’ interested in Presti back in November, and said that should James Dolan move to fire then head coach David Fizdale that “president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry would then find themselves in the crosshairs”.

Fizdale was fired on December 12.

According to Sports Illustrated, both Bondy and Ian Bagley of SNY have stated that Dolan’s first choice for the front office would be Raptors General Manager, Masai Ujiri, however, if Ujiri can’t be lured away from Toronto, Presti could be their next target.

Presti has been the general manager of the Thunder since 2007.