Magic’s man ‘has paid his dues’

Raptors boss laments the loss of GM Weltman

It's not quite breaking up the Beatles, but dissolving the partnership between team president Masai Ujiri and his trusted general manager Jeff Weltman will leave a tremendous hole in the inner workings of the Toronto Raptors.

Weltman gave Ujiri his first full-time job in the NBA. Ujiri got to the GM level sooner and had it written into his contract when he arrived in Toronto that he could hire Weltman away from the Milwaukee Bucks.

Ujiri knew the day would arrive when the two would be split up again, and that day arrived Tuesday when the Orlando Magic came calling with the opportunity for Weltman to run his own team.

“I think he has paid his dues,” Ujiri said in his first public comments since the news was broken by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. “An unbelievable person, a great basketball mind, and the time has come. We all have to live with it. It's sad sometimes, but I think eventually it was going to happen somewhere, somehow.

“I tried to fake it (by giving Weltman the) GM title last year and give him a raise and everything, but it didn't fake anyone out, I guess — but a phenomenal opportunity for an unbelievable person.”

To hear Ujiri talk about it yesterday, he wasn't just losing the opportunity to have his best friend in the business in the office beside him, he was losing a trusted sounding board.

“Yesterday, something came up and my first instinct was to call him and scream or something, and then I (remembered) he's not part of the program here, so what do I do?” he said.

“But I have a couple of others to scream at and to holler at. But it will be strange — Jeff gave me my first opportunity in the NBA. I was working part-time in Orlando and he gave me my first full time job with Kiki Vandeweghe (with the Denver Nuggets). Since then, there has just been a connection and there will continue to be one. He's just not next door anymore.”

Still in the fold and likely to be hearing from the boss a little more now are Bobby Webster, Dan Tolzman and Teresa Resch.

In terms of filling the GM post, Ujiri wasn't ready to tip his hand.

“We've got great guys here,” Ujiri said. “They are phenomenal. Guys will raise their level. We'll be creative in what we do, whether it's bringing in somebody or raising a couple of these guys. These guys are good.”

In Orlando, Weltman will have final say in basketball operations, something Ujiri has had throughout most of their working time together. And as much as Ujiri feels good about Weltman getting the opportunity to call all the shots for a job held by only 29 other people in the world, there is a real sense of loss.

“You hope that you can continue to build and help people get opportunity,” Ujiri said. “That's my hope. That's one thing, but I don't look at it like that. I look at it like a great loss to the organization.”