Masai Ujiri is officially in charge of the Dallas Mavericks. The team announced today that he is the new president and alternate governor, capping a six-month search for a new lead decision-maker just days before the NBA draft lottery next Sunday. Dallas is betting that his championship résumé and global development work can jump-start a full-scale rebuild.
Mavericks say Ujiri will run basketball operations
According to the team statement, Ujiri will oversee every corner of the Mavericks' basketball operation, including roster construction, player personnel decisions, scouting, and long-term planning. Governor Patrick Dumont called him "one of the great basketball leaders of this generation" and described the hire as a "critical step" toward the franchise's goals. The announcement and Dumont's comments were reported by CBS Texas.
A proven builder and global presence
Ujiri is widely recognized for transforming the Toronto Raptors into a championship team, including orchestrating the Kawhi Leonard trade and guiding the franchise to its first NBA title in 2019, a run chronicled by AP News. The league's archives also note that he was named the NBA's Executive of the Year for the 2012–13 season on NBA.com. Off the court, he founded the Giants of Africa program in 2003 to develop young players across the continent, a project the organization continues to promote.
Role, timing and immediate tasks
The hire wraps up a six-month search that included a December sit-down in Las Vegas, reportedly a four-hour lunch between Dumont and Ujiri that helped seal the deal, according to The Dallas Morning News. The Mavericks have scheduled an introductory press conference for tomorrow. Early items on Ujiri's to-do list are expected to include key staff hires and a fast evaluation of the team's draft assets and perimeter depth chart.
How Dallas got here
The front-office reset follows the firing of general manager Nico Harrison on Nov. 11, fallout from a blockbuster trade that preceded his exit. In the months since, Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi have been running basketball operations as co-interim general managers, a structure detailed by AP News.
What to watch next
All eyes now turn to tomorrow's news conference and next Sunday's draft lottery, where fans may get the first public hints about how Ujiri plans to use Dallas' draft capital and salary-cap flexibility. His off-court portfolio has stayed busy too: he joined the ownership group of the WNBA's Toronto Tempo in March, as reported by ESPN, while his Giants of Africa work remains a prominent part of his public profile.
Bottom line for Mavericks fans
The move signals a full reset at the top. Ownership has handed control to an executive known for bold, high-stakes decisions and a championship already on his record. "We will win in Dallas," the team quoted Ujiri as saying in its announcement, a promise that will soon be tested in the draft room and throughout the retooled front office.
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