Odds Say Masai Ujiri Will Remain With Raptors for 2019-20 Season

• Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri is the architect of the team’s first NBA championship
• The Washington Wizards are preparing a big offer for Ujiri
• Ujiri is likely to stay in Toronto as the Wizards franchise is in complete disarray right now

It wasn’t even minutes after the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA Championship that a report surfaced that Masai Ujiri, the team’s president of basketball operations, will be courted by the Washington Wizards. Sportsbooks have posted odds on where he’ll work next season and Raptors’ fans will be relieved to learn that Toronto is still favored. What’s the best bet?

Which NBA Team Will Masai Ujiri Work for in 2019-20?

*Odds taken 06/14/19

Wizards Have Big Offer for Ujiri

Leave it to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski to drop a huge bomb of news just seconds after the Raptors won the NBA Championship. Almost immediately after, he reported that the Wizards are preparing a massive offer for Ujiri in the neighborhood of $10 million a year.

The Wizards are preparing a massive offer for Ujiri in the neighborhood of $10 million a year.

What’s interesting is that the offer would not only make him one of the highest paid front office members in the NBA, Woj reported that the offer also comes with the opportunity for ownership equity. From what we know, that’s quite unprecedented.

Beyond that, there would also be opportunities for growth within the Monumental Sports and Entertainment, which is the company that oversees the Wizards. They also oversee the Washington Capitals too, so Ujiri would have everything he’d ever want from responsibilities to money to ownership.

Wizards Aren’t an Attractive Option

Of course, with an offer like this on the table, the destination can’t possibly be a good one. The Wizards are a mess right now. Franchise star John Wall is likely out for most of next season and the team has to decide what to do with Brad Beal, who is an All-Star but is constantly rumored to be traded.

Beyond that, the Wizards are short on budding talent or high draft picks. The fanbase isn’t particularly passionate either.

There’s clearly a lot of work for Ujiri to do. This team isn’t close to being a contender and won’t be for years.

Kawhi Leonard’s Situation a Factor

The only real chance I see Ujiri leaving is if Leonard leaves too. It would be heartbreak for the Raptors, but overall it would be understandable. At that point, Ujiri would have to figure out how to acquire another star, which is tough to do in Toronto.

Kawhi dancing as #WeTheNorth celebrate with champagne in the locker room… ?? pic.twitter.com/IpIVHnNI44

— SportsLine (@SportsLine) June 14, 2019

Ujiri might look at the situation and see that the Raptors have hit their high watermark and can only go down from here.

Bet On Ujiri Staying

I can’t see Ujiri leaving Toronto at this point. Of course, he’s going to be one of the most highly sought-after members of the front office, but leaving for the Wizards isn’t an attractive spot. The New York Knicks? Sure. The Los Angeles Lakers? Of course. But the Wizards? It’s unlikely.

Ujiri is a god in Toronto. He’s going to be immortalized. He’ll probably use this Wizards offer as leverage to get a raise but it’s hard to envision him leaving right now. The better bet is he convinces Leonard to stay and navigates a championship contender for a few more years.

Pick: Toronto Raptors (-180)