'Business continues as usual': Raptors president Masai Ujiri says there are no issues with Edward Rogers

Toronto Raptors team president Masai Ujiri tried to lay to rest rumours that he has friction with Edward Rogers, the executive chair of Rogers Communications, Inc.

Ujiri was asked about his relationship with Edward Rogers on Monday morning during Raptors media day before their pre-season training camp began. The question came nearly two weeks after Rogers Communications announced it was going to acquire rival telecom BCE Inc.'s 37.5 per cent stake in Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the Raptors' ownership group, for $4.7 billion.

"I'm going to set the record straight here: Business continues as usual," said Ujiri. "I think everybody wants to ask the question of my relationship with Edward Rogers.

The Toronto Star reported in 2021 that Rogers had unsuccessfully fought plans to re-sign Ujiri as vice chairman and president of basketball operations, saying he was not worth the amount offered.

"People talk about negotiating and when we negotiated my contract. Yeah, those periods are tough," said Ujiri, joking that he had tough negotiations with his three-year-old son that very morning. "This is life and we all we all go through this. So I want to set that clear that [Edward Rogers] has never treated me any different.

"From when that went on, we moved on. Everybody moves on. You have tough negotiations with everything we do. That's the nature of my job."

Ujiri's current contract will reportedly expire in 2026. The Raptors are entering what he called a rebuilding year on Monday after finishing last season with a 25-57 record, 12th in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

MLSE owns almost all of Toronto's professional sports teams, including the Raptors, NHL's Maple Leafs, Major League Soccer's Toronto FC, and the CFL's Argonauts.

MLS