Toronto Raptors of Canada president, Masai Ujiri has downplayed controversy that is currently raging over summer transfer deals that have been going on USA’s National Basketball Association (NBA), as he believes it is only normal to seek fresh talent in the squad.
Ujiri went on to add that NBA club’s would always be eager to keep signing quality players in the summer transfer spree and add to their squad depths ahead of the season, even if league media watchers, fans and league officials accuse them of desperation.
Megasportsaena.com reports that, with several deals appearing to go smooth outside the normal off-season draft, Ujiri, who is a former national team player with Nigeria’s D’Tigers, admited he is amazed with the number of deals going on.
While critics would always insinuate that a lot of desperation is going on behind the scenes, Ujiri added that he has nothing against clubs seeking to add fresh talent to their rosters, but admitted he has to guard his comments in order to avoid sanction by the NBA.
His words come at a point the NBA is investigating The Raptors’ signing-and-trading Kyle Lowry to Miami Heat, in a deal that was revealed just as free agency began.
The question NBA’s investigators are trying to find an answer to is: Did Toronto, Miami and Lowry negotiate before free agency officially opened?
Many NBA watchers and analysts believe it sure looked that way, with the overbearing verdict being that tampering is rampant in the league.
However, Ujiri submitted that keeping the league alive requires more transfer activity and opines that random teams should not be arbitrarily penalized for a practice that is widespread.
He added that someone complaining or the ease of proving a violation because sign-and-trades are more complex are not good justifications for selective punishment, then advised the NBA to write credible rules and enforce them.
Ujiri added when he appeared on NBCSports.com: “It’s incredible how every NBA team has a deal done by 6:02’ originally.
“I don’t know how it happens. All I know is I gave my phone for investigation. I have no comment. That’s the only comment I have.”
