Report: Ujiri approached Thunder about PG, DeRozan deal

The Toronto Raptors sent shockwaves throughout the NBA this past offseason when they dealt franchise icon DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard.

But president Masai Ujiri reportedly had plans to shake things up even before the San Antonio Spurs star became available.

Last season, Ujiri approached the Oklahoma City Thunder about a potential trade with DeRozan and Paul George as the centerpieces, according to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix.

It's unclear how far the trade talks progressed or who else was involved, but Ujiri wasn't satisfied with the Raptors' postseason play.

"I have a mandate . . . to win a championship," Ujiri said, according to Mannix. "You can’t continue doing the same thing over and over again. We gave a chance to (that) team. We tried to build it as much as we can."

George re-signed with the Thunder in the summer and is thriving in his second season with the club, averaging career highs in points (26.8), rebounds (8.0), and steals (2.2) per contest.