Mavericks Unlikely to Lure Masai Ujiri's Former GM for New Role

The Dallas Mavericks sent shockwaves around the NBA this week when they hired Masai Ujiri to be the Team President and Alternate Governor. After winning a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and Executive of the Year with the Denver Nuggets in 2013, Ujiri was arguably the most accomplished lead executive on the market, and the Mavs swung big by landing him.

Although Ujiri will be at the top of the food chain for basketball operations, the Mavericks are still expected to add a general manager underneath him. A few names are expected to be considered, but it's unlikely to be Bobby Webster, the general manager of the Toronto Raptors, who was under Ujiri previously.

"At least one source speculated that [Ujiri] might try to hire Webster as his general manager in Dallas. Multiple sources I spoke with ruled that out almost instantly, on two grounds," SportsNet's Michael Grange reported. "One, now having had his own team to run, it’s unlikely stepping back to a supporting role would be something the current Raptors general manager would want to do, and two, the Raptors wouldn’t let Webster go."

Webster is likely to earn a contract extension from the Raptors after they were the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference this season, pushing the Cleveland Cavaliers to 7 games in the opening round. The team was mostly constructed by Masai Ujiri, but Webster put the finishing touches on a roster that had struggled in recent years.

Oct 2, 2023; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri smiles after a question by the media during Media Day at the Hilton Toronto. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

One Option Off the Board for Mavericks General Manager

Bobby Webster was never likely to be a serious option to step in under Masai Ujiri in Dallas. Once someone gets a taste of being the lead executive, it's hard to expect them to go back underneath someone willingly. That will leave Ujiri searching for someone else to fill that void.

Two options could already exist within the Mavericks. Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley took over as Co-interim GMs when Nico Harrison was fired in November and performed admirably, pulling off the Anthony Davis trade with the Washington Wizards, freeing a lot of future finances.

Ujiri is expected to meet with each of them to see what their role will be moving forward. Both have been in the business long enough and are worthy candidates, but Ujiri may want his own people with different voices in the building.

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