Knicks Rumors: Masai Ujiri Reportedly Targeted as Phil Jackson's Replacement

Adrian Wojnarowski, formerly of The Vertical, reported Wednesday that New York Knicks owner James Dolan is targeting Masai Ujiri to be the team's next president.

Ujiri is the president and general manager of the Toronto Raptors, and he has served in that role since 2013.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Wednesday that the Knicks and current team president Phil Jackson are set to part ways.

Shelburne added that Jackson and Dolan agreed to move on during discussions Tuesday night. The biggest sticking point was Jackson's desire to move Carmelo Anthony.

Melo refused to waive his no-trade clause, and Dolan was unwilling to buy out the superstar's contract.

In three full seasons as Knicks team president, Jackson failed to make the playoffs and lost at least 50 games in each year.

The 46-year-old Ujiri served as a scout for the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets before getting hired as the Raptors' assistant general manager in 2008.

He then became Denver's executive vice president of basketball operations in 2010 before returning to Toronto in 2013 after being named NBA Executive of the Year with the Nuggets.

During his four seasons as Raptors GM and president, Toronto has made four playoff appearances, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015-16.

The Raptors are in the midst of their longest continuous run of success in franchise history, but with Kyle Lowry set to hit free agency, a downturn could be coming.

Establishing a winner in New York would be a major challenge for Ujiri, but with young, talented pieces such as Kristaps Porzingis and 2017 first-round pick Frank Ntilikina on the roster, there are promising building blocks in place.