The following is from Chris Broussard, so take it for what it’s worth.
The Toronto Raptors have offered Denver Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri a five-year deal worth nearly $3 million annually, league sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard.
Ujiri, the NBA’s Executive of the Year, is expected to make his decision sometime this week. Sources told Broussard it’s a virtual certainty that Denver can’t match Toronto’s offer.
Nuggets president Josh Kroenke didn’t want to spoil the day of new Colorado Avalanche coach Patrick Roy, so he deflected any talk about the situation involving his general manager.
The Nuggets allowed Ujiri, to meet with the Raptors about their GM vacancy over the weekend, Yahoo! Sports reported. Ujiri’s contract with Denver expires June 30.
As president of the Avalanche as well, Kroenke attended Roy’s announcement on Tuesday. He remained mum about Ujiri, saying, “There are no Nuggets questions today. Sorry. It’s all about Avalanche.”
Ujiri was assistant GM in Toronto for three years before joining Denver in 2010.
If true, then this begs the question just how unattractive the Raptors GM job is that Ujiri is stalling despite being made a millionaire and given total control of the club. Maybe Ujiri is negotiating even more money, maybe he’s confirming that he does in fact get total control of the roster, maybe he’s pushing the Raptors to fire Colangelo proper, maybe he’s wanting to hire Colangelo as an Assistant GM, maybe he’s waiting before June 1st to sign the deal because he likes to do things on the first of the month. Or maybe he went in complete shock when he got offered that kind of cash and is recovering in hospital.
We just don’t know. What RR has acquired is a GIF of Leiweke’s feelings right about now.
