The Dallas Mavericks hired former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri as their new team president and alternate governor on Monday.
Ujiri, 55, spent 12 seasons in the Raptors’ front office (2013-25) and was the architect of the franchise’s first NBA championship in 2018-19.
“The Dallas Mavericks are committed to being a world-class organization with a strong culture and focused on winning championships. 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,” said Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont. “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.”
Before joining Toronto, Ujiri was general manager of the Denver Nuggets from 2010-13 and was named the NBA’s Executive of the Year for 2012-13. The Raptors and Nuggets were a combined 690-504 with 12 playoff appearances in his 15 seasons in charge.
“I’m honored to join the Dallas Mavericks and step into this role at such an important time for the organization,” Ujiri said. “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.”
Ujiri’s hiring ends a six-month search process for a new leader in Dallas, which fired general manager Nico Harrison on Nov. 11. Harrison’s tenure ended after a 3-8 start to the 2025-26 season and the continued fan backlash over the February 2025 trade of superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi ran the Dallas front office as co-interim general managers following the dismissal of Harrison.
The Mavericks finished 26-56 this season, the team’s worst record since 2017-18 (24-58), despite the play of Rookie of the Year and No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg. The 19-year-old forward averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 70 games.
–Field Level Media
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