Masai Ujiri has taken the Mavericks job primarily to work with Cooper Flagg, a generational talent. Ujiri emphasized Flagg's potential to transform the team during his press conference.
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Dallas landing Masai Ujiri to take over basketball operations is seen by many as a coup. One of the most respected front office minds in the league, the man who built the Toronto Raptors into champions, comes to a Mavericks team in the midst of a self-inflicted rebuild (including rebuilding its reputation with its fans) after Nico Harrison made the Luka Doncic trade.
Why did Ujiri choose Dallas? Two words: Cooper Flagg. Ujiri made that abundantly clear at his press conference.(Quotes via Abby Jones.)
"The one difficult thing to find anywhere, anywhere in sports, it's a generational player, and we have one. We've planted a Flagg here. We have one player here that can turn everything and it is so hard to find in sports."
And...
"You've got Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and Nikola Jokic all for the next 7-15 years. Okay, now you have to convince me that I have to beat all those guys. Okay, you gotta come with something in your pocket, okay? …And in his pocket he had Cooper Flagg."
"We have a saying in Africa, we say, 'when kings go, kings come' and a king went [Luka] and we have a little prince [Cooper Flagg] here now. He's turning into a king and I think we have to start thinking that way."
Also from that introductory press conference.
• Ujiri said he was going to look at every aspect of basketball operations and reassess it. With that, Jason Kidd may not be safe as head coach.
• Ujiri said he is excited to see what Kyrie Irving, who missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL, looks like next to Flagg. It did not sound like Ujiri is looking to trade the nine-time All-Star point guard.
Masai Ujiri accepted the Mavericks job mainly to work with Cooper Flagg, whom he considers a generational player.
Ujiri stated that Cooper Flagg is a rare generational talent that can significantly impact the team's future.
Ujiri mentioned Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Nikola Jokic as key competitors in the league.
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• Team governor Patrick Dumont reiterated that ownership is committed to Dallas, and while they are looking to build a new arena that will be their home "for 40 years" that will be in the greater Dallas area.