On a day when the Toronto Raptors were focusing on their present and future, Masai Ujiri did not mince words on his ultimate goal for the team.
Speaking to reporters after announcing new contract extensions for Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, Ujiri on Monday took time to address a tough season for the Raptors that saw long-time players Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby traded.
While the Raptors president and vice chair was not happy with the team took a step back, he remains confident in where things are going with the group.
“Last year was a shame to me, to us in a way that I feel we had to rebuild and many things came our way. It’s now starting to settle.” Ujiri told reporters. “Sports is only about winning and nobody cares about anything if you don’t win, you’re irrelevant. I’m saying it again: we will win again here, and it’s guaranteed we’re going to win again here.”
Ever since the Raptors won the NBA championship in 2019, the team has made the playoffs only twice and lost in the play-in tournament in 2022-23.
Part of what the Raptors hope will lead to success is the growth of Barnes and Quickley as the core of the team going forward.
“These are foundational players. It’s the start of something. We’re hoping we can start to really build that force,” said Ujiri. “We want to get back to where we were.”
