“Frankly, we did not know how it was about to proceed,” Ujiri stated after coping Norman Powell to get Gary Trent Jr. “Since we have talked about looking at this group in each direction it might proceed.
“We arrived to a stage where we had been comfortable with almost any direction it went”
Ujiri said that Lowry’s news conference following Wednesday night’s win on the Denver Nuggets — just one which felt just like a 25-minute goodbye to Toronto and its enthusiasts — was a”circus” and it”did not feel like, perhaps, which was the ideal way to go… it looked surreal, a bit.”
However, as Thursday wore , Ujiri finally decided that the ideal move was supposed to hang to the best player in Raptors franchise history, compelling the decision about what’s going to happen with his future with the group to the offseason.
When asked what’ll happen afterward, Ujiri said it is something he will chat about using Lowry at there.
“We will discuss it afterward,” he explained. “I believe we will speak about them whenever the time comes in the close of the season. However, I believe most of us understand the respect and the opinion about Kyle and this basketball team, and what he is done not just for the town, the group, the nation, ” the league.
“Frankly, our staff can go in several distinct directions. I keep mentioning it. We’re familiar with whatever direction we proceed. Perhaps we lost an opportunity , but we think we gained an opportunity in various other things moving forward. This group, particularly with what we have gone through this season, can pivot in several distinct directions. That is the place we find ourselves today.”
Lowryin an Instagram article, known as Thursday that a”mad afternoon but the love I received from everyone was amazing.” He also added,”Thank you for making it understood I am adored and for all of the birthday wishes.”
In terms of the participant Ujiri failed commerce, Powell, he stated that the chance to receive a gifted player who’s also a few years younger in Trent — he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer — has been too great to pass up.
“Gary Trent isalso, I believe, a 23-year-old participant with a great deal of upside — shot, defender, matches our core group,” Ujiri explained. “That is what we’re enthusiastic about.”
Since he has in the past, Ujiri just said that could be dealt with at a later date, while maintaining that the Raptors business will likely be”nice” no matter what.
When asked afterwards to measure what that meant, Ujiri gave a lengthy response praising back the fans in Toronto, in which the Raptors — that had been playing this year in Tampa, Florida — have not played for at least a year.
“That location is amazing,” Ujiri stated of Toronto. I need it on anyone in this planet that may experience it. It is outstanding. And anyone that may encounter my place, God bless you. It is a big, large boon. It is wonderful.”
“Yesthey struggle,” Ujiri explained. “They struggle together, you notice they prefer to play together and, of course, there has been ups and downs, you guys have noticed it.
“What they would like to construct, the experience they have had collectively of winning, we are blessed. We are fortunate that we have been a winning company, and hopefully we can continue that somehow or another and have a fantastic vision with this ball team to keep that. There might be stops along the way and hardship along the way, but I feel that the total culture we must keep going along with these gamers are a massive portion of it”