A dark cloud looms over the city of New York. Sports quality within the city is at an all-time low. The darkest region of the cloud lies within one arena. Madison Square Garden, a Mecca of hoops. Home to a team by the name of the New York Knicks. But a savior is brewing. He’s currently under contract in Toronto but with the right price, full control, and a stubborn-less team owner (hopefully), a team known for its prominent name can return to glory.
The savior’s name you ask? Masai Ujiri. A man whose first name alone has a ring of power to it should get full control to turn this franchise around.
For those that know me personally, I’ve never been a fan of the Knicks; a team that has only managed two championships in its 73-year history and stands by name alone. They’ve attracted stars for years, last being relevant when led by a former core highlighted by Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. But now, the Knicks darkest days have come. As Stephen A. would put it, the Knicks “stink”.
Ujiri, however, could change the fortunes of the Knicks with a quickness if James Dolan, the stubborn Knicks owner, gives him full control as president of basketball operations.
Masai Ujiri’s Body of Work
By now, many hoops fans know of Ujiri. If you don’t or need a refresher, his story is nothing short of sensational.
Ujiri started as an unpaid scout for the Orlando Magic in 2002. In a span of 8 years, he went from a paid scout for the Nuggets in 2006, assistant GM for the Raptors in 2008, and GM and executive VP of basketball operations for the Nuggets starting in 2010.
During his tenure with the Nuggets, Uijri was asked to handle a massive load. He dealt with Carmelo demanding a trade, which ultimately landed Melo in New York. He found a way to bring in Andre Iguodala on a trade centered around Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. And he found a way to craft teams strong enough to keep his win percentage at 63% and win an Executive of The Year award in 2013.
Now, Uijri has spent his last five years back in Toronto as the president of basketball operations. Since that time, he has drafted the likes of budding stars Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. He’s given chances to undrafted free agents like Fred VanVleet.
His most iconic move was also his riskiest. He dealt away franchise star DeMar DeRozan in order to obtain Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.
And the risk paid off in the biggest way. The Toronto Raptors won their first NBA title last season and gave fans in Canada a memory for life.
What’s Left to Prove?
Uijri is still under contract until 2021. He will have plenty of time to consider the possibility of joining the Knicks and should first weigh his options.
The real question becomes, what more does he have to prove in Toronto?
The Raptors have a 338-179 win/loss record over Uijri’s time leaving a win percentage of 65%. The Raptors have only two seasons under his watch in which they did not win 50 games( 48 in 2013-14 and 49 in 2014-15). They have been to an NBA Finals, one Eastern Conference Finals, and two semifinals. His work has been impeccable thus far in Toronto.
The Knicks certainly will have the money to give him whatever he wants. In 2014, the team signed Phil Jackson to a five-year contract worth 60 million just to fire him only 39 months later.
If James Dolan will loosen up his grip on the franchise and give Uijri the whole key, the Knicks can turn things around quickly. The chance to restore a franchise, as he’s done in two other places, should be a challenge he should accept.
The Knicks need Masai Uijri but it will be up to Uijri to make the final call.
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