Masai Ujiri, the executive who built the Toronto Raptors into an NBA powerhouse and delivered the franchise’s only championship in 2019, is officially out as president and vice chairman after 12 seasons with the team. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the Raptors’ ownership group, announced Friday that it had mutually agreed to part ways with Ujiri ahead of the final year of his contract.
Ujiri’s departure marks the end of a transformative era for the Raptors. Since taking over as general manager and executive vice president in 2013, Ujiri reshaped the organization on and off the court. Under his leadership, Toronto compiled a 545-419 regular season record, made the playoffs in eight of 12 seasons, and posted five consecutive 50-win campaigns from 2015 to 2020 — unprecedented success in the franchise’s history.
Most famously, Ujiri engineered one of the boldest trades in recent NBA history in 2018, sending longtime star DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio in exchange for Kawhi Leonard. Despite the risks — Leonard was entering the final year of his contract and was expected to leave in free agency — the deal paid off. The Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship, defeating the Golden State Warriors in six games, and Leonard was named Finals MVP.
However, when Leonard departed for the Clippers that summer, the Raptors remained competitive for a time, the roster eventually unraveled. Key figures from the title run — Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and Pascal Siakam — all left via trade or free agency. Toronto has now missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons, including a 30-52 finish in 2024-25.
Ujiri’s recent attempts to revive the Raptors’ fortunes included trades for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and most recently Brandon Ingram. He also secured long-term deals for Quickley and 2021 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. Just days before his departure, Ujiri oversaw the selection of rookies Collin Murray-Boyles and Alijah Martin in the NBA Draft.
Despite those efforts, internal struggles — including the failure to keep core stars aligned — and ownership shifts within MLSE created friction. Ujiri’s relationship with Rogers Communications, which took a controlling share of MLSE in 2023, was long rumored to be strained. With Brendan Shanahan also departing as Maple Leafs president earlier this year, a broader leadership shift seemed inevitable.
Now, for the first time since 2013, the Raptors will look to a new executive to navigate their future. General manager Bobby Webster will remain with the organization, and MLSE has launched an executive search, led by CAA, to find Ujiri’s successor.
As MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley put it: “Masai has helped transform the organization on the court and has been an inspirational leader off it. He brought an NBA championship to Toronto and urged us to believe in this city, and ourselves. We are grateful for all he has done.”
Though Ujiri won’t be around for the Raptors’ next chapter, his legacy in Toronto — as the executive who helped the city believe and delivered its crowning basketball moment — is secure.