NBA Turkeys: What Each Team Is Thankful For

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Toronto Raptors

May 9, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri during the press conference naming him NBA executive of the year at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The Raptors Are Thankful For: Masai Ujiri’s Wheeling and Dealing

Who should the Raptors be thankful for?

DRAAAAAAAAKE.

I’m just kidding, kind of. But there is another figure in the front office that the Raptors should be thankful for. That figure is general manager Masai Ujiri. After working wonders with Denver (which has seemingly collapsed on itself since his departure), Ujiri came to fix a dysfunctional Raptors team.

And after one season, it looks as if Ujiri has made the same type of shrewd moves in Toronto that helped him build a contender in Denver. After trading away Rudy Gay last season, the Raptors rallied and got home-court advantage in the playoffs, as well as creating a very catchy #WeTheNorth campaign.

Now with the Raptors 12-2 and sitting atop the eastern conference standings, Ujiri seems to have kept the ball rolling.