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Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke initially decided to put together a strange arrangement last spring , replacing longtime Toronto Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo with the man who used to work as his second in command, reigning NBA Executive of the Year and former Denver Nuggets top man Masai Ujiri. The plan was for Colangelo, who is as connected as they come within NBA executive circles, to stick around to help grease the wheels as Ujiri dotted through the league’s ever-expanding Rolodex. The problem with the arrangement was obvious, though, because it would involve Colangelo reporting to a man who used to report to him, all while that new boss broke apart the middling and expensive team Colangelo put together. The setup didn’t last, obviously, as the pairing didn’t even make it past NBA draft night before Colangelo was let go in full. Ujiri responded by dealing Colangelo’s notorious top overall draft pick Andrea Bargnani for cap space and draft picks in the offseason , waiving former Colangelo signing Linas Kleiza soon after using the amnesty clause , while carefully choosing his options with Colangelo-era leftovers like DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, and coach Dwane Casey. Swingman Rudy Gay was thought to be off the tradin’ table, not so much because Ujiri wanted to keep him (he didn’t), but because there was thought to be little interest in a player that attempts nearly as many field goals per game as he does score points per contest, while making over $37 million over the final two years of his contract.
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