Masai Ujiri is a damn good General Manager. In fact, he is so good that this past season he became the NBA’s Executive of the Year. After seeing Carmelo Anthony hold the Denver Nuggets hostage for a season, and seeing Ujiri trade him away in his first season as GM, a Nuggets front office position could appear to be hectic. The question that remains, though, is that with Ujiri off to explore greener pastures, will his new club shine?
This past week, Masai Ujiri accepted at 5-year, $15 million contract with the Toronto Raptors, the club where he got his executive start. The Nuggets were unable to offer Ujiri the same sum as the Raptors, and after weighing his options for a week, Ujiri accepted the offer. His tenure with Denver terminates at the end of the month.
This season, after Ujiri pulled off a trade that landed former All-Star Andre Igudola in Denver, the Nuggets won 57 games. They won 32 games at home, and found themselves with home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The season ended abruptly with the Nuggets being upset in the first round by the Golden State Warriors.
While Ujiri breathed some life into a franchise that could have been Lebroned by their Superstar, one has to wonder how the Denver fans will react to his departure. Will he be remembered by the assets he brought in during the Carmelo trade, or by being the one to trade Denver’s lone superstar and leave?
While Denver fans have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming season, many question marks still remain. Who will take over the front office spot? Will George Karl be in Denver for the final time as head coach? What trades or pickups need to be made to make the Nuggets a true contender in the west, instead of a perennially one and done playoff team?
Photo courtesy of the Star
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