The Toronto Raptors named Masai Ujiri of Nigeria their director of global scouting on Monday.

The 36-year-old joins the Raptors after spending four seasons in the Denver Nuggets scouting department, including this past season as their director of international scouting.

Prior to joining the Nuggets, he served as an international scout with the Orlando Magic in 2002-03.

"Masai Ujiri is universally known in the NBA as a bright young basketball mind," Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo said in a release. "The Toronto Raptors will surely benefit from his wealth of experience and contacts."

The Nuggets' scouting staff took its second hard hit this week with the departure of director Bill Branch, who is going to the Seattle SuperSonics.

Branch's 10-year tenure with the Nuggets, the past five seasons as assistant coach/director of scouting, will end Tuesday, and he will move on to be the Sonics' director of pro personnel. Branch is regarded as one of the NBA's top advance scouts and has 20 years experience working in the league.

"I had a great 10 years here," Branch said in a phone interview Friday. "I enjoyed all the people from coaches I worked for. I worked for a lot of people here in my tenure and I learned a lot of different things.

"Hopefully, it will help me down the road. I told (Nuggets) George (Karl) to be proud and happy for me and that the Sonics wanted me during your command. George treated me like a son."

International scout Masai Ujiri has left the Nuggets to join the Raptors.

Ujiri informed the Nuggets he has accepted a job as the director of global scouting for the Toronto Raptors with the likelihood of being promoted to assistant general manager in May 2008. The Nigerian was with the Nuggets for three seasons and last season was their director of international scouting.

The Nuggets offered Ujiri a promotion to director of player personnel, and Golden State offered an assistant GM position. But he opted to join two-time GM of the year Bryan Colangelo in Toronto.

Ujiri is considered one of the top international scouts and has helped more than 50 players from Africa receive basketball scholarships in the United States.

"It was a tough, tough decision to make," Ujiri said Wednesday in a phone interview. "It's also a good opportunity to learn and grow. Maybe one day I'll come back to the Nuggets. The Nuggets will always be family to me. Mr. (Stan) Kroenke allowed me to grow, gave me everything I needed to do my job, and made me better.

"I learned from the (ex-Nuggets GM) Kiki (Vandeweghe) regime and the current regime. And I'm going to learn from Bryan, because he's one of the best in the business."

Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony is promising that his troubles of the past are a thing of the past and he is more mature. His focus is on becoming a great NBA player, an outstanding father and a role model.

Anthony, 23, expressed his desire to eliminate the drama during a sit-down interview with the Denver Post recently.

"I'm introducing the new Melo. I'm a new person. A new attitude. A businessman now. I'm happy. I probably tell you this every year, but I'm more happy than I've ever been. It's nothing in general. It's just life, period. I don't know why. I just woke up one day and felt this way, somehow."

Anthony Carter said in a phone interview Wednesday that the Nuggets are planning on exercising his one-year contract next season paying $1.1 million. The 8-year NBA veteran said Nuggets coach George Karl told him he'd have a chance to compete with Chucky Atkins to start at the point.

"I'm coming to training camp like it's anybody's job," Carter said. "I won't come in thinking it's (Atkins'). If I get it, I think he'll support me. If he gets it, I'll support him. We can play together and support each other. I've never been a hater."

The Denver Nuggets have signed free-agent guard Chucky Atkins, days after point guard Steve Blake returned to Portland.

Atkins, 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, averaged 13.2 points and 4.6 assists last year with the Memphis Grizzlies, the second-highest averages of his eight-year career.

"Chucky will be a great addition to our team," Nuggets vice president for basketball operations Mark Warkentien said Monday. "He is a proven veteran who can really shoot the basketball."

"I'm very excited to be a Nugget," Atkins said. "This is a great situation for me and I'm looking forward to winning a championship here in Denver."

Blake, who signed a free-agent deal with the Trail Blazers last week, averaged 8.3 points and 6.6 assists in 49 games with Denver last season.

The Nuggets signed Chucky Atkins to a two-year guaranteed deal today paying $3.2 million next season and $3.4 million in the 2008-09 season with a team option for a third season, according to sources. The eight-year NBA veteran arrived in Denver this morning to sign the contract and take a physical. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder replaces Steve Blake at point guard and is expected to add 3-point shooting and leadership while joining Allen Iverson in the backcourt.

"Did you see what I went through last year? All that losing?" said Atkins in a phone interview. "I can't take that no more. I thought Denver was a perfect spot for me and how I play. They missed someone like me in the playoffs. Someone who can make shots. I think I fit in perfect."

Free-agent point guard Steve Blake said today he has agreed to a three-year deal with the Trail Blazers.

Blake averaged 8.3 points and 6.6 assists in 49 games with the Nuggets last season. He was willing to return to Denver but opted for Portland as the Nuggets were on the verge of finalizing a contract with guard Chucky Atkins.

"That's OK, if that's the direction they want to go," Blake said in a brief phone interview. "I just decided to go back to Portland."

Blake, 27, made $1.33 million last season and was seeking a starting salary close to the NBA's $5.35 million midlevel exception.

Atkins, a point guard with eight years of NBA experience, said Thursday night he will be in Denver today to sign a multiyear contract with the Nuggets.

"Pretty much a done deal," Atkins said. "I'm very excited. Very happy. For one, just to be off the (free- agent) market. Secondly, to be going to play for a very talented team that has a chance to win it all."

Atkins, who will turn 33 on Aug. 14, enjoyed one of his best statistical seasons in 2006-07, averaging 13.2 points and 4.6 assists in 75 games with the Memphis Grizzlies.

For his career, he has averaged 10.8 points and 3.7 assists and is a 37 percent three-point shooter.

His shooting ability was a strong selling point for a Nuggets team that was 28th in the league from behind the arc last season.

"I just want to ease the double- and triple-teaming of Carmelo (Anthony) and Allen (Iverson)," Atkins said. "I think we can make some things happen."

Atkins' pending arrival means point guard Steve Blake is unlikely to return to the Nuggets.

Of all the candidates to be the Nuggets' new point guard next season, coach George Karl is finding out he would rather have the one who was just there.

"My whole thing is I think Steve Blake has earned the right to be the first one recruited," Karl said Monday. "His camp is going to make a decision, and we're going to make a decision."

Blake is mulling offers from several NBA teams, including the Miami Heat, which has shown great interest in the former Maryland star.

Asked what he thought the odds of getting Blake back on the team were, Karl smiled and said, "It depends on the day."

Blake is seeking the full mid- level exception, projected to be about $6 million next season.