TORONTO (CP) - A tumultuous season on and off the court could mean more shakeups in the Toronto Raptors' front office.
The Globe and Mail reported in Friday's edition that Richard Peddie, president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and Raptors general manager Rob Babcock are being targeted by MLSE board members. Several sources with close ties to MLSE say the two men likely face job performance reviews at season's end.
The job security of head coach Sam Mitchell is also reportedly in question, with the Raptors sitting at 30-44 and on the brink of missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season. As much attention has been paid to the team's off-court turmoil, which included a well-publicized dispute between Mitchell and Rafer Alston earlier in the season that resulted in the point guard considering retirement.
The focus, however, is on Peddie and Babcock. One unnamed source told the Globe and Mail the two men are "dead men walking."
Another source said: "There is discussion at the board. There is terrible dissatisfaction with the combination of Babcock and Peddie."
Babcock and Mitchell were hired over the summer to replace Glen Grunwald and Kevin O'Neill, who led the Raptors to a 33-49 record in 2004.
Babcock said he is not aware of any misgivings by the board about his performance.
"There's some areas on our team that we need a lot of improvement," said Babcock. "There's no doubt. I think that we've done everything that we can possibly do at this point.
"We still have a long ways to go, have a lot more to do. But ... I feel confident in what we've done."