Masai Ujiri, Raptors Agree to New Contract: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

The Toronto Raptors agreed to terms with general manager Masai Ujiri on a multiyear extension on Friday, according to a team press release.  

“I am grateful to the Board and Mr. Tanenbaum for the opportunity to continue our progress to build the Raptors into one of the top franchises in the NBA,” said Ujiri. “I’m also excited that Jeff and Bobby are being rewarded for their hard work and valuable contributions to our program. My family thanks the NBA, Raptors players and coaches, staff, Raptors fans, the city of Toronto and Canada for this opportunity. Toronto is home for us.”

ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst first reported on Aug. 11 the two parties were negotiating a new deal.

While Ujiri still had two years left on his old contract, the Raptors might have felt a pressing need to secure his long-term future now. In April, the New York Daily News' Frank Isola reported the New York Knicks were considering him as Phil Jackson's potential successor.

If the Knicks didn't snap him up, TSN's Josh Lewenberg figured another team would:

Ujiri arrived in May 2013, and under his watch, Toronto has put together its best stretch in franchise history. This past year, the Raptors won a team-record 56 games and reached their first Eastern Conference Final.

“The stability this move brings is important for the team and its fans and we look forward to building on the Raptors’ success under Masai’s continued leadership," MLSE President and CEO Michael Friisdahl said, per the release. 

Ujiri can't take sole credit for building the roster that has gotten the Raptors to this point. Former GM Bryan Colangelo selected DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross in the draft and acquired Kyle Lowry in a trade with the Houston Rockets. DeRozan and Lowry in particular have been instrumental in Toronto's last three playoff runs.

But that's not to minimize Ujiri's impact north of the border.

The Andrea Bargnani trade was one of his first pieces of business. The Raptors sent the former No. 1 overall pick to the New York Knicks and netted a package that included a 2016 first-rounder. Ujiri used the pick to select Jakob Poeltl in June.

In December 2013, Ujiri jettisoned Rudy Gay, Aaron Gray and Quincy Acy, getting Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquez in return. Patterson has become a solid role player for the team, while Ujiri flipped Vasquez for Norman Powell and a protected 2017 first-rounder in June 2015.

And that's to say nothing of the financial flexibility Ujiri created when he unloaded Gay's contract. That freed up money down the road, which in turn put the Raptors in a position to sign DeMarre Carroll last offseason.

Some may question whether Ujiri is the guy who can deliver a title to Toronto. As much progress as the Raptors have made, they're still well behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East and will be for as long as LeBron James resides in Ohio.

But it would be one thing if the Raptors were coming off a third straight first-round exit. Instead, their trip to the conference finals silenced the skeptics who questioned whether DeRozan and Lowry were truly the building blocks for the franchise.

Overtaking the Cavs for East supremacy won't be easy, and Ujiri may not be able to do it with Toronto's current core of key contributors. However, based on his track record, Raptors fans should have confidence he can take the franchise to the next step in its overall progression.