Why get fleeced in trades by Masai Ujiri when you can employ him yourself?
This is the line of logic apparently being deployed by New York Knicks owner James Dolan as he begins his search for a Phil Jackson replacement, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
Knicks owner James Dolan is targeting Toronto's Masai Ujiri to replace Phil Jackson as N.Y.'s President, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) June 28, 2017
Ujiri is a sound target in a vacuum. But this is also a pipe dream. Ujiri signed an extension with the Toronto Raptors last September, and working for them beats the hell out of tying yourself to Dolan. The Knicks can offer a lucrative contract (Jackson was making $12 million per year) and try compensating the Raptors for his departure with picks and more money, but it might not matter.
New York’s best hope is that Toronto and Ujiri reach a mutual pivot point. Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Patrick Patterson and P.J. Tucker all free agents this summer. The Raptors’ salary bill is about to skyrocket. But if they lose Lowry and opt for a rebuild, maybe both Ujiri and the team decide it’s better to start fresh. It’s unlikely, to be sure. The Raptors would be unwise to relieve Ujiri of his post after all he’s done, so he would have to want out—and, again, why leave for a situation lorded over by Dolan?
If nothing else, this pursuit at least proves Dolan and the Knicks are preparing to focus on qualified candidates—executives who won’t try to expedite a process that needs to marinate.
Then again, per the New York Daily News‘ Frank Isola, maybe not:
One person close to the Knicks described Isiah Thomas as a "dark horse candidate" to become Knicks president.
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) June 29, 2017
Sigh.
Godspeed, Knicks fans.
