Mavericks’ Front Office Hire Could Change NBA Draft Outlook

Masai Ujiri has offically been added to the Dallas front office.

Sep 30, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman and Team President Masai Ujiri speaks to the media during media day at Scotiabank Area. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Per a Monday bombshell from ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Dallas Mavericks are officially hiring Masai Ujiri as the franchise’s newest Team President and Alternate Governor. 

BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are hiring Masai Ujiri as the franchise's new Team President and Alternate Governor, sources tell me and @BannedMacMahon. Ujiri ran the Toronto Raptors from 2013 to 2025, serving as the architect of the 2019 NBA championship team. pic.twitter.com/ZsRwzwWHDt

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 4, 2026

The decision comes after Dallas chose to part ways with Nico Harrison, who was part of the debacle that sent superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks ultimately made the wrong decision in sending off who would be the league’s top scorer this season, but did eventually land the No. 1 pick at the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, subsequently taking now-Rookie of the Year winner Cooper Flagg.

Flagg, having averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game across his debut season, made the Mavericks’ job enticing alone, in addition to the team having enough pieces to compete in the next handful of seasons. That was able to lure in Ujiri, who is now the team’s President following a six-month search.

Ujiri helped to run the Raptors from 2013 to 2025, helping to amass a championship core in the 2019 season.

In addition to having built a championship core with the Kawhi Leonard trade, Ujiri is also one of the best talent evaluators in terms of the draft. He has an extended history in helping pick with the Raptors, having helped to find all of Jakob Poeltl, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes and most recently Collin Murray-Boyles, though he was let go shortly following the 2025 draft.

Even more than experience drafting good players, Ujiri also brings with him a fairly specific style and archetype, as shown by all of Siakam, Annoy, Barnes and Murray-Boyles. Ujiri was constantly keen on adding versatile, Swiss Army-style players that can defend a variety of different positions, score in different ways and, most importantly, have positional length.

Flagg, at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan and premier two-way potential, was likely an enticing building block for Ujiri as that exact mold of player. And likely a future superstar in need of just a few more years of development.

Dallas currently holds the eighth-best odds at the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, and is likely hoping for a boost up to the top-four, where it could select any of AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson or Caleb Wilson. Ujiri’s history would lean heavily toward both Dybantsa and Boozer.

Should the Mavericks hang around the eighth pick, players like Nate Ament, Yaxel Lendeborg, Jayden Quaintance, Kingston Flemings and Mikel Brown Jr. all jump out as players with some positional size and defensive potential.

Regardless of what direction Dallas goes, Ujiri brings with him a championship template, and is sure to provide a boost to the Mavericks in some capacity.