Tim Leiweke, go or stay, won’t affect the Toronto Raptors in a negative way.

The 57-year old CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment was reportedly ready to leave his position with the company in which he was hired April 26th of last year. Leiweke later denied the report through a statement this afternoon, and through multiple emails to many media outlets.

“Any reports stating that I am leaving MLSE is untrue. We are completely focused on the seasons at hand and I am not thinking of anything else but that,” Leiweke said in his statement, while also asserting there’s still a lot of work to do.

However, in an email to CBC Leiweke side steps his future with the Company, “Very committed for the season at hand. Not thinking about long-term.”

So the question isn’t will Leiwke leave MLSE, but when will he leave?

It’s reported that Leiweke’s contract ends in the spring of 2015. Meaning his exit will most likely come sometime next year. Leiweke is a man of taking on challenges and he has plans to find a new opportunity as soon as he can. His family also hasn’t enjoyed their time in Canada, as the winter was to cold and snowy for their liking. Leiweke’s wife has already moved back to California.

When first being hired by MLSE, Leiweke’s first goal was to get all three of, Raptors, Maple Leafs and FC on the right track. He wanted to see all three team’s competing in the playoffs at the same time. Rightfully so, as all three team’s before Leiweke’s hiring had only made the playoffs a combined three times in a span of seven years.

Leiweke signed Michael Bradley, Jermain Defoe and Julio Cesar for Toronto FC, who have turned their Franchise around in a way. With still over two months remaining in the MLS season FC sits in the third seed, with a realistic chance of making the playoffs.

MLSE’s biggest prize possession, the Maple Leafs were a number one focus for Leiweke. The Leafs are one of the NHL’s top franchises, but haven’t shown so in the win-loss column. With the hire of Brendon Shanahan, Leiweke hopes the former NHLer can help make the Leafs into a Stanley Cup contender.

With multiple moves to change the coaching staff and front office, Shanahan, in some way has started his takeover of the Leafs.

However, FC and the Leafs are a long ways away from really being a completed project and without a complete supervision from a CEO, everything could fall apart. So, Leiweke’s departure is meaningful to all but one team in the MLSE family.

Believe it or not, the Raptors can last without the brains of Leiweke. No basketball fan in the Toronto area has uttered the words “In Leiweke I trust”, but many have turned to the words of “I believe in Masai”.

Sportsnet’s Tim & Sid sing I Believe In Masai

Masai Ujiri, current General Manager of the Raptors was the first piece brought in by Leiweke when his tenure started. Ujiri, former Executive of the Year with the Denver Nuggets took over the General Manager Job from his former boss Bryan Colangelo.

Colangelo kept his role as President with the team, but later stepped down as expected when he was first stripped of his General Manager duties.

Leiweke didn’t just stop at bringing in one of the NBA’s youngest and brightest minds. He and Ujiri then turned to the hire of famous rapper Drake. The Toronto born rapper was given the title “Global Ambassador” by the team, without officially being a part of the team’s payroll.

Drake’s role is to help bring top free agents to Toronto to play for the Raptors.

Once Leiweke’s hiring’s were finished, the then 43-year old Ujiri began his magic. He traded away the contracts that no one wanted. Andrea Bargnani was traded to New York before the ’13-’14 season and Rudy Gay was traded early into last season to Sacramento. All of a sudden the expected to tank Raptors turned into a playoff team.

Although most of the roster was brought in by Colangelo including starters DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Amir Johnson, Jonas Valanicunas and Terrence Ross.

Caught up in the middle of the Ujiri hiring and the two trades was Leiweke working with the League offices to bring the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend to Toronto. With an already growing basketball community in the Greater Toronto Area, the one weekend will allow the entire NBA to witness what basketball truly means in Toronto. If they didn’t already from the packed Maple Leaf Square during the Raptors playoff run.

Now, with the hire of Ujiri and Drake along with the All-Star weekend, Leiweke’s services with the Raptors is all but done. He hired a General Manager with brains, got a celebrity with multiple contacts and found some way to bring basketball and Canada together with one simple weekend.

So, whoever is the CEO of MLSE tomorrow or next year is left with the task of allowing Ujiri to do his job and let Drake find a way to attract stars. The only thing Leiweke might leave undone is the new practice facility he hopes to have built for the 2016 All-Star Weekend. A facility that he hopes will also help attract free agents.

Leiweke is in talks with the City of Toronto on where the practice facility will be located and what the cost could come too. These talks could be completed before Leiweke’s departure in 2015.

So, now the new CEO is left with planning the February weekend in 2016. He or she already has the performances booked with Drake and whoever he brings along. Outside of that, the NBA will also be a part of the planning, making the job a little easier. But one things for sure, if Leiweke is gone before 2016, he’s going leave a layout for the All-star weekend that MLSE, Drake and Ujiri will request the new CEO to follow.

This doesn’t mean Leiweke’s job is easy or isn’t appreciated. He’s done enough to put the Raptors on a long-term winning path, but his hire of Ujiri is in no need of supervision after everything he’s already done. If Ujiri was even being supervised, he would have never dropped the “F*** Brooklyn” during this year’s first round playoffs.

Drake also has done his part so far after the Raptors got hit with a $25,000 tampering fine when Drake got a Toronto crowd at his concert to chant “KD” in an effort to show all-star Kevin Durant how it would be to play in Toronto.

Ujiri was brought in to make basketball moves, he’s done so as the Raptors made the playoffs and will do so again this coming season. Drake was brought into target free agents. A tampering fine was one way to do so, as MLSE hopes losing $25,000 will only lead to profit afterwards.

Leiweke has finally made the Raptors into a basketball Franchise. His other two team’s still have ways to go, and who knows if a new CEO can finish what Leiweke started with FC and the Leafs. But for now the new CEO, keep your hands off the Raptors. Ujiri and Drake, along with Head Coach Dwane Casey are heading towards bigger and better things, with or without Leiweke.