Raptors Exec VP Isiah Thomas could leave the team "as
early as this week to work for NBC," according to Doug Smith
of the TORONTO STAR. Four sources told the STAR Monday that
Thomas "is weighing a lucrative offer" from NBC "that
includes on-air professional basketball analysis and his own
show on CNBC." One source said the offer carries a $2M
annual salary. Last night, an NBC spokesperson had "no
knowledge" that Thomas would be joining the network.
Thomas, who earns C$900,000 on his contract and owns 9% of
the team, was said to be in Miami and unavailable for
comment. Smith writes that Thomas "has the highest profile
of anyone in the Raptors' organization. Losing him would be
perceived as a blow to the young team's credibility, not
only in Toronto but throughout the NBA." Smith adds that
Thomas "has become disenchanted with [Majority Owner Allan]
Slaight's reluctance to spend money to get players Thomas
feels are needed to improve the struggling team" (TORONTO
STAR, 11/18). In Toronto, columnist Chris Young: "If he
leaves the Raptors at the end of the week, Thomas is jumping
off a sinking ship. To mangle the metaphor a little
further, he leaves behind a scorched patch of ground that
will take years to resod. ... [W]ith Thomas on the verge of
leaving, the question is simple. Is this franchise, with
only a small foothold in what is a hockey-first frontier,
strong enough to survive the winds that are going to buffet
it over the next year?" (TORONTO STAR, 11/18).
