Masai Ujiri didn’t exactly mince his words: “Our number one priority is to bring DeMar back.”
At his season-ending press conference Monday morning, the Toronto Raptors‘ President and General Manager recapped the most successful season in franchise history and looked ahead to an off-season in which DeMar DeRozan’s impending free-agency lingers heavy above the organization.
After compiling a team that won a record 56 wins in the regular season and came two wins shy of reaching the NBA Finals, there was a lot to like about the way the Raptors performed. But with a busy summer and many crucial decisions ahead of him, Ujiri isn’t ready to sit back and soak in the year that was quite yet. Ujiri mentioned that “the future is bright” for his team, but maintained that he was disappointed in the way the season ended.
“I come home and my wife says to be proud,” Ujiri said. “I say ‘thank you’ to be a good husband, but there’s 29 disappointed teams and we’re one of them. I don’t feel too different from last year to this year because we didn’t win the championship. You have the urge that you want to do better.”
The biggest question surrounding the team revolves around two of the team’s best players during the playoff run, impending free agents DeRozan and Bismack Biyombo. The DeRozan debate has strong supporters on both sides of the fence. On the one hand, he’s a 26 year-old two-time all-star and top-ten scorer who’s only getting better and is probably the only star-calibre player to say he wants to spend his career in Toronto. On the other hand, he’ll command a $23 million salary and, while he had moments of brilliance, was also exposed at times during the playoffs.
Biyombo emerged out of virtually nowhere this season. A $3 million flyer acquisition last summer to help add bench depth, Biyombo filled in for an injured Jonas Valanciunas in the second round and played a critical part in the Raptors’ success, becoming a cult hero/fan favourite in the process. But he played so well on such a big stage that the 21 NBA teams with max cap room this summer will all be taking a look at signing him in the off-season at an annual salary projected to be anywhere between $12-17 million per season.
Without some trades (Ujiri said he is absolutely open to moving one or both of Toronto’s upcoming first round picks) and creative accounting, it will be difficult for the Raptors to retain both. But that is Ujiri’s goal.
“We want to bring them back,” Ujiri said of the two, adding that “I don’t know how possible that is…it’s our job to figure it out.”
He wouldn’t speak to any specifics on DeRozan’s next contract.
Ujiri also mentioned that he expects an extension to be worked out with head coach Dwane Casey in the immediate future.
Check back to Sportsnet.ca throughout the day for more reaction from Ujiri’s presser.