Raptors stay in house, choose Bobby Webster as new team boss

National Post

2 days ago

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment did its legwork before coming around to what was the obvious decision from the beginning: Bobby Webster was the man for the job.
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And so the long-time Toronto Raptors general manager, who was the first hire, albeit in a lesser role, by Masai Ujiri back in 2013, will take over as head of basketball operations for Ujiri, who was fired as president by the club in late-June with a year remaining on his contract.
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The move came Monday, six weeks ahead of the start of training camp. ESPN reported while Webster would be the head man, he would retain his general manager title.
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Webster, the 41-year-old Hawaii native who spent years working in the NBA's head office and also interned for the Orlando Magic before joining the Raptors, is extremely well-regarded around the Association. It would have made little sense to hire someone above him given his varied skillset and strong reputation as a basketball mind and dealmaker.
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Still, MLSE president Keith Pelley had said at a media conference just after Ujiri's departure was announced that CAA had been hired to conduct a search and that while Webster would be considered for the job, the Raptors would be looking for a president who 'will need to be a prominent, successful business leader.'
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That person, Pelley admitted, would have 'big shoes to fill' given Ujiri's achievements in Toronto. That said, Webster was a major contributor to those feats too, most notably the 2019 NBA title, which was driven by Kawhi Leonard. Webster played a massive role in getting the Leonard trade done with San Antonio, in fact leading those talks. He also, as a salary cap expert given he actually helped write a previous version of the collective bargaining agreement while working in New York, was heavily involved in strategic decisions over the years.
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Toronto has won 341 games since Webster became GM, ninth-most in the NBA, including franchise-record 59 and 58 win campaigns, along with the championship.
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