The Toronto Raptors have formally elevated longtime executive Bobby Webster to head of basketball operations and, according to league insider Jake Fischer, ownership expects the club to shift from rebuilding to contending for a top-six playoff berth as soon as next season.
Fischer told a Bleacher Report live stream that most front-office observers assumed Webster would take over after the organization and former president Masai Ujiri parted ways. “The league was taking it as a foregone conclusion that Bobby Webster would be running the show,” Fischer said, adding that some around the industry were surprised the team announced an external search at all.
Webster has been part of the franchise’s hierarchy since 2017, serving as general manager and playing a central role in Toronto’s 2019 championship roster construction. His promotion comes after a 2023-24 campaign in which the Raptors traded Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby and missed the postseason for the third consecutive year.
Despite those moves, Fischer reported that majority owner Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment has delivered “formal pressure” for immediate improvement. Instead of merely chasing a play-in spot, management is targeting a direct entry into the Eastern Conference playoffs’ top six.
The 2024-25 season will be Webster’s first full year steering basketball operations without Ujiri, and expectations inside Scotiabank Arena are clear: end the rebuild and return to the playoff bracket.
Source: Hoops Wire
