American National Basketball Association (NBA) club, Toronto Raptors’ president, Masai Ujiri has declared that the club wants to buy as many good players as they can.
Speaking against the backdrop of a massive surge into the transfer window, sports247.ng reports that Nigerian-born Ujiri is unabashed in his reaction to critical comments rolling from NBA watchers.
Many are of the view that The Raptors are ripping off more than they can chew, but Ujiri insists their sorties are for real, and stressed that there are many more to come.
This comes after The Raptors pulled out all the stops ahead of the NBA’s 3pm EST trade deadline on Thursday.
They added an elite centre in Marc Gasol, and according to Masai Ujiri they are not done adding pieces for the playoff run.
Yet Ujiri says the team plans to aggressively pursue more options that have been, or will be, made available in the buyout market.
With The Raps shipping out four regulars – including Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, C.J. Miles and Greg Monroe — in the span of a couple hours and Kawhi Leonard sitting out, the team trotted out a lineup against the Hawks on Thursday consisting of only nine active players.
There are several spots to be filled on the team’s roster and the buyout market is where Toronto will try to round out a lineup that is expected to make a run for the franchise’s first ever Eastern Conference title.
Several players seem to be drawing extra attention from the Raptors, who have to fill both the centre slot vacated by Monroe and need extra depth on the wings after losing Wright and Miles.
Now-former New York Knicks forward Enes Kanter and former Miami Heat guard Wayne Ellington are two names that are on the market and fit the job description.
Bryan Kalbrosky of Hoops Hype put together an extensive list of all the potential buyout options, but Ujiri is sounding boastful, despite all odds and rule restrictions standing against his plans.
In order for any of Raptors’ pursuits to be eligible for the postseason, they must be put on waivers or bought out by March 1.
Any player on the market by then can suit up for Toronto in the playoffs as long as they are signed on or before the last day of the regular season.
Ujiri reckoned further that the theme of his tenure will continue to hold firm: leaving behind the people who got you where you are because they can’t get you where you want to go.
He added: “I just heard Pascal say, you feel the camaraderie, you feel the family and then we have to do these kinds of things.
“It makes it difficult. Jonas was a baby with us, grew up with us. We drafted Delon Wright.
“These guys have been special in our organization the last five years, four years with Delon. … [Valanciunas] is a No. 1 team-first guy, tough guy that gave us everything.
“That was a tough phone call today with him and emotional. He’s such a phenomenal person that gave this franchise his all.”
