The Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets are expected to pursue Amir Johnson.

Johnson is coming off a two-year contract with the Boston Celtics.

Before joining the Celtics, Johnson played six seasons with the Raptors.

Johnson has always been a productive per minute player during his career.

The New York Knicks are not expected to request permission from the Toronto Raptors to speak with Masai Ujiri.

Ujiri recently signed an extension with the Raptors and the Knicks would likely need to send draft and cash compensation to Toronto.

Ujiri was reportedly a preferred candidate of the Knicks. Ujiri successfully negotiated trades against the Knicks involving Carmelo Anthony and Andrea Bargnani.

The Raptors hired Ujiri away from the Nuggets in 2013.

New York is searching for a replacement for Phil Jackson.

The New York Knicks have Masai Ujiri at the top of their list to become president of basketball operations and replace Phil Jackson.

The Toronto Raptors hired Ujiri away from the Denver Nuggets in 2013 and he wa recently given a raise believed to make him one of five highest paid executives in the NBA.

Sources say Ujiri will be allowed to leave the Raptors if he makes that decision. Toronto recently received draft pick compensation from the Orlando Magic for Jeff Weltman. The Raptors haven't received a request from the Knicks to interview Ujiri.

League sources have indicated the Knicks are confident that Ujiri will join their franchise.

Tim Leiweke, who hired Ujiri with the Raptors, is now advising the Knicks.

“Don’t forget that (Leiweke) wants to stick it to these guys,” said one MLSE official.

Ramona Shelburne reports that the Knicks are unlikely to rush hiring a replacement for Jackson. League sources told her it will be difficult to hire Ujiri away from the Raptors because of the Knicks' reluctance to part with draft considerations. 

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have promoted Bobby Webster to general manager, Dan Tolzman to assistant general manager / vice president, player personnel and Keith Boyarsky to vice president, basketball strategy & research.

Masai Ujiri will continue to oversee basketball operations as president of the club.

“We are excited to promote Bobby, Dan and Keith for their hard work and important contributions to our program,” said Ujiri. “They have been invaluable across many aspects of the franchise, making decisions on our salary management, key input on scouting, analytics, strategy, player personnel and team building that has helped us develop a winning culture throughout our organization.”

Webster joined the Raptors front office in 2013 as vice president, basketball management & strategy, and helped construct a roster that won three consecutive Atlantic Division titles (2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16) and back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Raptors have compiled a 204-124 (.622) regular season record since 2013 – the best in the Eastern Conference the past four years.

Webster was promoted to assistant general manager / vice president, basketball strategy in September 2016. He came to the Raptors after working for the NBA league office in New York for the previous seven seasons in the NBA's CBA group.

Tolzman has served the past two seasons as director, player personnel / general manager of Raptors 905, the team’s NBA G League affiliate. He will continue to serve as Raptors 905’s general manager in his new role. Raptors 905 has compiled a 62-38 (.620) regular-season record during its first two seasons under Tolzman’s direction. 

Tolzman joined the Raptors as director of scouting in 2013 and organized the team’s scouting efforts for the NBA draft and free agency preparation. He was a member of Ujiri’s staff in Denver, serving as scouting coordinator from 2011-13 and also worked in the media relations department from 2004-09.
Boyarsky joined the Raptors as an analytics consultant during the 2009-10 season and served as director of analytics since 2013-14. He advises management in player evaluation and roster construction, while providing the coaching staff with data-driven scouting and analysis. Boyarsky adapts new technologies and data sources to lead the Raptors’ efforts in innovating new competitive advantages.

The New York Knicks are targeting Masai Ujiri to replace Phil Jackson as president of basketball operations. 

Ujiri joined the Toronto Raptors in 2013 from the Denver Nuggets and recently was elevated to a higher position while being given a raise.

James Dolan has known to be fond of Ujiri for several years.

Ujiri negotiated against the Knicks on the Carmelo Anthony trade while with the Nuggets and again on the Andrea Bargnani trade. The Knicks also discussed a Kyle Lowry trade but Dolan backed out due to concerns about negotiating with Ujiri again.

The Toronto Raptors will promote assistant general manager Bobby Webster to general manager.

Webster will be the youngest GM in the NBA at the age of 32 as he will replace Jeff Weltman.

Webster began his NBA career as the associate director of salary cap management at the league’s head offices in New York City.

Webster was initially hired as vice president of basketball management and strategy when Masai Ujiri was hired by the Raptors in 2013.

Kennedy Meeks has agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the Toronto Raptors.

Meeks went undrafted out of North Carolina.

Meeks averaged 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a senior for the Tar Heels. Meeks was on the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team.

The Toronto Raptors are exploring trade scenarios involving Jonas Valanciunas and the No. 23 overall pick.

Valanciunas signed a four-year, $64 million extension with the Raptors in 2015.

The need for a center of Valanciunas' skill-set has become less critical over the past couple of seasons.

Toronto has key decisions to make this offseason on the free agencies of Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Patrick Patterson and P.J. Tucker.

Kyle Lowry will be a free agent this offseason and it is unlikely to be as easy for the Toronto Raptors as it was in 2014.

Lowry has been "grumbling about dissatisfaction with the Raptors for months", according to multiple sources.

Rival teams were being told Lowry had “zero interest” in returning to Toronto as recently as mid-May.

The Raptors, for their part, had no intention of offering a five-year deal to Lowry.

Another destination for Lowry may prove difficult in free agency. The San Antonio Spurs are not likely to be interested while the Philadelphia 76ers are likely out after trading for Markelle Fultz.

“I love this city, everything about this city . . . I think everything about Toronto has been as positive or better than other NBA cities,” said Lowry last week.

Kyle Lowry met with DeMar DeRozan and Dwane Casey this week in the Bay Area. Lowry was last a free agent in 2014 and re-signed with the Toronto Raptors.

Casey wanted to expose Lowry and DeRozan to the culture of The Finals. Norman Powell also attended the meeting.

Lowry missed the final two games of the Raptors' playoff run.

The Raptors are under pressure to re-sign Lowry who figures to receives significant free agent interest.