Masai Ujiri got an inside look at the Raptors management team as the assistant GM for Bryan Colangelo. Now that he's the man in charge, he knows who needs to stay and who needs to go, and he's already clearing out the deadwood. Ed Stefanski, while not necessarily part of the problem, is out, and is likely to be replaced by a new assistant GM of Ujiri's choosing. Also out is longtime Raptors scout Jim Kelly who, along with Steve Young, has been with the Raps forever, and is likely to blame for our total lack of success drafting in the second round and our hit-and-miss first round drafting record--the signings of Jose Calderon and Jorge Garbajosa notwithstanding. Dave Pendergraft and two other regional scouts have also been fired and Maurizio Gherardini is expected to be on the way out this weekend as well. Ujiri got his start in the NBA as an unpaid scout then as a paid advance scout so he knows the ins-and-outs of the scouting business.
Alvin Williams has reportedly been let go. No word yet on whether we're retaining other former players Jerome Williams and Jamaal Magloire.
