In bold stroke, Dallas Mavericks hire Masai Ujiri as new Team President

Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont wanted to take a big swing in hiring a new head of basketball operations in Dallas, something made clear by the names leaked that he had interest in.

Dumont may have hit a home run. The Mavericks have hired former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri as the team's new Team President and Alternate Governor, a story confirmed by the team soon after it broke.

"I'm honored to join the Dallas Mavericks and step into this role at such an important time for the organization," Ujiri said in a statement announcing his hiring. "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."

He is being given the keys to the franchise. "Ujiri will oversee all aspects of the Mavericks' basketball operations, including roster construction, player personnel, and scouting, while working with team leadership to shape the organization's basketball philosophy and long-term direction," the team said in announcing the hiring.

"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," Dumont said in a statement announcing the hiring. "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."

Ujiri is one of the more respected front-office minds in the league and turned things around in Toronto. When he was first hired, the Raptors had missed the playoffs in nine of the previous 11 years. He stockpiled talent (through smart draft picks and trades), built one of the best player development programs, and turned the Raptors into a consistent top team in the East for years behind franchise legends such as Kyle Lowry. In that stretch, after a bold move to bring in for a year, Toronto won its lone title in 2019.