Masai Ujiri’s fingerprints are still all over the kind of roster he helped popularize in Toronto, and now that same thinking is showing up in Dallas.
Ujiri spent 12 years with the Raptors, from 2013 to 2025, first as general manager and later as team president. During that stretch, he helped turn the franchise from an East team into a perennial contender and, eventually, an NBA champion in 2019. His exit last summer came as a shock to Raptors fans, even if the possibility of a split had been floating around for a while.
Toronto has since moved into the Bobby Webster era, but the influence of Ujiri’s old ideas is still easy to spot. The Raptors remain tied to “Vision 6'9"” and the preference for big, versatile wings who can play in a positionless setup and create problems defensively. Scottie Barnes is the face of that approach now, with Collin Murray-Boyles and recent draftee Allen Graves also fitting the mold.
Ujiri’s next stop arrived in May, when he was hired by the Dallas Mavericks as team president and alternate governor. Three months into the job, the direction of his roster-building has already drawn attention from NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
In his August 3 late-night intel piece, Stein wrote: " In that short time, Ujiri has done little to dispel the notion that he wants as many switchable wings as possible on his roster, with the Mavericks having jumped into a recent three-team trade with Oklahoma City and Atlanta to acquire former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and then signing Naji Marshall to a contract extension on Sunday that nearly doubled Marshall’s $9.4 million salary for 2026-27."
That theme lines up with the Mavericks’ current centerpiece, Cooper Flagg, who fits right into that kind of lineup construction. Dallas also has several other players who can be viewed through the same lens, including Risacher and Marshall. Morez Johnson Jr., the team’s 2026 lottery pick, along with newly acquired Santi Aldama and veteran PJ Washington Jr., also fit that profile to varying degrees.
It’s the same old debate that followed Ujiri in Toronto: plenty of size and versatility can give a roster real flexibility, but it can also bring clutter, overlap and a tighter margin on the perimeter. Raptors fans know that conversation well, and now it’s following Ujiri into his new job with the Mavericks.
In Other News...
Windy City Bulls Just Opened A Rare Door For Overlooked Hopefuls
For players still chasing a foothold in the professional ranks, the G Leagues open tryout circuit has become one of the few legitimate doors into a league that usually feels sealed shut. This fall, five teams have already put their invitations on the table: the Texas Legends, Motor City Cruise, Windy City Bulls, Raptors 905 and Grand Rapids Gold, each spelling out when and where hopefuls can show up, along with the entry fee attached to the shot.
It is the kind of opportunity that can look modest on paper but carry real weight for fringe prospects trying to turn one workout into a longer look. Jonathon Simmons is the reminder teams and players keep in mind, since he used a G League tryout as his launch point to the NBA, and that history is part of why these open dates around the league, including the one in Torontos system, still matter to a lot of players who are one good day away from being noticed. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Reunion Buzz Around Kawhi Comes With One Massive Catch
The chatter around a possible Kawhi Leonard reunion has put Toronto back in a familiar kind of spotlight, the sort that immediately makes fans remember how quickly the franchise can change when a true difference-maker is involved. Leonards potential impact on the Raptors is easy to see, which is why the buzz around his return has picked up so much attention around the team and beyond.
What makes the situation especially intriguing is that the framework already includes a steep price for Toronto to pay if it goes through. Jeremy Lin has voiced support for the move and is hoping the league signs off soon, but until then the Raptors are left waiting on a rare chance to bring back a player whose presence would reshape the roster in a major way. [Read more 🡒]
Andre Jackson Jr Brings One Big Question To The Raptors
Andre Jackson Jr. is getting a fresh look in Toronto after the Raptors added the former second-round pick on an Exhibit 10 contract. The defensive-minded wing spent three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, and his calling card has long been his work on that end of the floor, where energy and versatility can still earn a player a real chance even if the offensive profile is thinner than teams usually prefer.
For the Raptors, the appeal is obvious enough: Jackson is the kind of low-cost, low-risk camp body who can compete for a spot and, if needed, keep developing with Raptors 905. The question hanging over the move is the same one that has followed him since Milwaukee - whether his defense can carry enough weight to offset the limitations on offense and give him a path onto a regular-season roster. [Read more 🡒]