The last three years have seen the Toronto Raptors produce the three best seasons in franchise history, and the club is looking to lock down the man who put those rosters together.
The Raptors are nearing an agreement on a "lucrative" contract extension with general manager Masai Ujiri, sources told ESPN's Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst.
Ujiri still has two seasons left on the five-year, $15-million deal he signed with the Raptors in 2013, but amidst reported interest from other teams like the New York Knicks, it seems ownership is taking a proactive approach to keep their star GM far away from the open market.
Since leaving the Denver Nuggets to accept the Raptors job, Ujiri has made several notable moves, including:
- Dealing Andrea Bargnani to the Knicks for a first-round pick (which he spent this summer on Jakob Poeltl).
- Trading Rudy Gay (and his onerous contract) in exchange for a package headlined by Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquez.
- Trading Vasquez in exchange for a 2017 first-rounder, plus the second-round pick that became Norman Powell.
- Signing free agent DeMarre Carroll.
- Extending the rookie contracts of Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas.
- Extending the contract of head coach Dwane Casey.
- Re-signing Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to long-term deals.
Ujiri took over a 34-win team in 2013. In the three years since, the Raptors have won 48, 49, and 56 games, setting a franchise record each time. Last season, they nabbed the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed for the first time, won their first playoff series in 15 years, made their first-ever conference finals appearance, and finished just two wins shy of the NBA Finals.
Ujiri was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2012-13, his last season with the Nuggets. He finished fourth in voting this past season.