Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont wanted to take a big swing in hiring a new head of basketball operations in Dallas, something made clear by the names leaked that he had interest in.
Dumont may have hit a home run. The Mavericks have hired former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri as the team’s new Team President and Alternate Governor, a story confirmed by the team soon after it broke.
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“I’m honored to join the Dallas Mavericks and step into this role at such an important time for the organization,” Ujiri said in a statement announcing his hiring. “This is a franchise with a proud history, passionate fans, and a commitment to winning. I look forward to working with our players, coaches, and leadership team to build something that reflects that standard and competes at the highest level. We will win in Dallas.”
He is being given the keys to the franchise. “Ujiri will oversee all aspects of the Mavericks’ basketball operations, including roster construction, player personnel, and scouting, while working with team leadership to shape the organization’s basketball philosophy and long-term direction,” the team said in announcing the hiring.
“Masai Ujiri is one of the great basketball leaders of this generation and his addition to our franchise is a critical step in meeting our goals,” Dumont said in a statement announcing the hiring. “We are honored to have him join the Mavs family. We welcome his energy and determination along with his leadership, experience and many accomplishments as a basketball executive. We are very excited about the future of our team.”
Ujiri is one of the more respected front-office minds in the league and turned things around in Toronto. When he was first hired, the Raptors had missed the playoffs in nine of the previous 11 years. He stockpiled talent (through smart draft picks and trades), built one of the best player development programs, and turned the Raptors into a consistent top team in the East for years behind franchise legends such as Kyle Lowry. In that stretch, after a bold move to bring in Kawhi Leonard for a year, Toronto won its lone title in 2019.
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Ujiri now takes over a franchise with a cornerstone player in Cooper Flagg and a highly respected coach in Jason Kidd. He also inherits two first-round draft picks, one in the lottery. In addition, Dallas has Kyrie Irving under contract for next season, plus some solid role players under contract, such as P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. This is a well-positioned roster now, and it doesn’t need an overhaul.
Ujiri was let go by the Raptors after the draft a year ago, largely because of a personality conflict with the new CEO of the Raptors’ parent organization (which did not replace him, but gave his responsibilities and a new title to people already in the organization).
Ujiri’s hiring in Dallas was not a quick process. Dumont and Ujiri reportedly first sat down and talked last December during a long lunch in Las Vegas, according to ESPN.
This is not Dumont’s first bold move to bolster the organization. He lured former Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts out of retirement to serve as the franchise’s CEO in 2024. Welts reportedly met with Ujiri as part of this process as well.
