Masai Ujiri has been hired as the president and head of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks, aiming to restore the team's credibility after recent upheavals. His experience as the architect of the Raptors' championship team is seen as a significant asset.
Key points
Masai Ujiri hired as president and head of basketball operations
Mavericks aim to restore credibility after management changes
Ujiri has a championship pedigree from his time with the Raptors
Cooper Flagg seen as a key future player for the Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are still looking to restore credibility after the shocking trade of Luka Doncic and firing of GM Nico Harrison, but they have one major factor working in their favor: Cooper Flagg.
Flagg is the building block that ties the Mavericks' future together. The Mavericks now believe they have an executive who can effectively build around him.
Dallas is hiring Masai Ujiri as its president and head of basketball operations, ESPN's Shams Charania reported, giving the franchise a championship pedigree atop the front office after Harrison's tenure went sideways.
Here's what to know about Ujiri's career and what he's bringing to the Mavericks.
The Mavericks will be Ujiri's third top front office job after spending time at the helm of the Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors.
Early years in the NBA
Ujiri got his start as an unpaid scout with the Orlando Magic in 2000s and worked his way up, earning a paid international scouting role with the Nuggets through a connection with Jeff Weltman, who ironically now runs Orlando's front office.
Ujiri was hired away by the Raptors to be director of global scouting for the franchise and ultimately became Toronto's assistant general manager in 2008.
Denver Nuggets (2010-13)
The Nuggets made Ujiri their general manager in 2010, a tenure that resulted in three consecutive playoff appearances and a surprise 57-win season in 2012-13.
Ujiri executed the trade of star Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks in 2011 and brought in Andre Iguodala at little cost as part of the four-team Dwight Howard trade in 2012. Despite losing Anthony, Denver remained a contender in the West.
Ujiri earned Executive of the Year honors in 2013 before being hired away by the Raptors a second time.
The Raptors had missed the playoffs in six consecutive seasons when they hired Ujiri and made the playoffs in each of Ujiri's first seven seasons at the helm.
While the foundation was already set with DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, Ujiri quickly unloaded Andrea Bargnani in a deal with the Knicks and used his scouting background fill out the rest of a contending roster. Ujiri identified undrafted guard Fred VanVleet, New Mexico State forward Pascal Siakam and second-round sharpshooter Norman Powell in the early portion of his tenure. All three would play a role on the Raptors' championship-winning team in 2019.
That title wouldn't have been possible if Ujiri had simply stayed the course after a terrific 2017-18 regular season that ended in playoff failure. Ujiri fired coach Dwane Casey, who would go on to be named Coach of the Year, and he traded DeRozan as part of a package for disgruntled Spurs star Kawhi Leonard. Leonard initially had no interest in playing in Toronto, making the deal a gamble for Ujiri, but it resulted in a Larry O'Brien trophy for the city.
The Raptors only made the playoffs in one of Ujiri's final five seasons before he and the franchise split in 2025. While it can be argued that Ujiri took too long to dismantle certain areas of the roster after it became clear championship contention was no longer realistic, he did go against the grain by drafting All-Star Scottie Barnes over Jalen Suggs in 2021 and built much of the roster that returned to the playoffs this season.
The Mavericks are making Ujiri their new head of basketball operations after Harrison's firing in late 2025. While there are questions about how much ownership might try to meddle in major decisions, Ujiri brings a layer of credibility to the organization with his track record of success in Toronto and Denver.
Ujiri has what looks like a legitimate star to build around in Flagg. The newly-minted Rookie of the Year still has development ahead, but he has all the tools to be a franchise centerpiece, making Ujiri's job much easier. With a star already in place, Ujiri's unique ability to find gems like Siakam and VanVleet should allow the Mavericks to build a roster that brings out the best of Flagg.
How old is Masai Ujiri?
Ujiri is 55 years old; he is set to turn 56 in July.
Once a bright up-and-coming mind, Ujiri is now a veteran executive compared to many of his counterparts. He saw highs and lows in Toronto, but the Mavericks were certainly impressed with his ability to win a championship in such an unlikely place and are hoping he can do a similar job in Dallas.
