Raptors aiming to end rebuild, push for top-six spot under Bobby Webster

It didn’t surprise many around the NBA when the Toronto Raptors named Bobby Webster their permanent head of basketball operations, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer . The only surprise, Fischer said, was that the franchise publicly announced a search at all after parting ways with longtime president Masai Ujiri.

“Someone I consult with who is involved in (executive) search firm stuff was taken aback by the fact that was even put out publicly,” Fischer said during a Bleacher Report live stream . “He was taking it — and the league was taking it — as a foregone conclusion that Bobby Webster would be running the show.”

Webster had served as general manager since 2017 and was widely viewed as the natural successor.

The Raptors, who traded away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby during the 2023-24 season, have missed the playoffs three years in a row. Still, Fischer said the expectation is for Toronto to be more competitive moving forward.

“The Raptors have definitely been given some type of formal pressure, some type of direction from their new leadership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to end this sort of rebuild era they’ve been in,” Fischer said.

He added that the organization will be aiming for a top-six playoff spot this season rather than settling for the play-in tournament.

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