Mavericks Make Massive Front Office Move Hiring Former Champion Executive

This is a big move for the Dallas Mavericks after moving on from Nico Harrison.

Sep 30, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Raptors vice chairman and team president Masai Ujiri talks to the media during media day at Scotiabank Area. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks have been searching for a new general manager since firing Nico Harrison in November. Team governor Patrick Dumont wanted to make a big splash, just as he did when hiring Rick Welts as the CEO, and he did just that.

ESPN's NBA insider Shams Charania announced on Monday that the Mavericks are hiring Masai Ujiri to be the team's president and alternate governor, giving him an extended title. Ujiri won Executive of the Year with the Denver Nuggets in 2013, then built the Toronto Raptors to their lone championship in 2019. Dumont wants to build a championship-caliber organization, and hiring an executive who has won a title recently helps with that, in his mind.

Ujiri and the Raptors parted ways in 2025, and he ended up taking this year off from the NBA. He did join the ownership group for the WNBA's new expansion team, the Toronto Tempo. According to Charania and Tim MacMahon, Ujiri and Patrick Dumont first met about the position in Las Vegas in December.

The reason Dumont landed on Ujiri is that he is confident Ujiri can build a winning culture, and has "outstanding communication skills," per MacMahon and Charania. After the Nico Harrison disaster, they definitely needed someone who can build a strong organization.

The Mavericks considered Minnesota Timberwolves executive Tim Connelly, but it became apparent that he wouldn't become available. Detroit Pistons Senior VP of Basketball Operations Dennis Lindsey was Mark Cuban's preferred candidate, but Cuban has no say in the matter anymore. Interim Co-GMs Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley were also considered for the position.

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

Patrick Dumont is Swinging for the Fences

While Masai Ujiri has shown the capability to build quality teams, he's also made a handful of mistakes that made the Raptors want to part ways with him in the first place, such as trading OG Anunoby for Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, then signing Quickley to an expensive contract extension that has turned into one of the worst deals in the NBA.

Ujiri is also a massive risk-taker. While they won the championship in 2019, he first had to trade beloved star DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs to get Kawhi Leonard, who only spent one year in Toronto before leaving in free agency.

Ujiri gained a reputation late in his Raptors tenure for hanging onto assets too long before selling them too low. Fred VanVleet walked in free agency despite it becoming apparent he wouldn't be back in Toronto. The Pascal Siakam trade has yet to bring anything fruitful in return, even if they were eventually able to use Bruce Brown and one of the first-round picks received in that deal to trade for Pascal Siakam.

This is an interesting gamble for the Mavs, and it starts what will be an eventful offseason.