Mavericks hire Mike Schmitz away from Trail Blazers as GM days after naming Masai Ujiri president

TL;DR

The Dallas Mavericks have hired Mike Schmitz as their new general manager, just days after naming Masai Ujiri as team president. Schmitz previously served as assistant GM for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Key points

Mike Schmitz hired as Mavericks GM
Masai Ujiri named team president
Schmitz previously assistant GM for Trail Blazers
Schmitz to oversee basketball operations
Uncertainty remains over roles of interim GMs

Mentioned in this story

Dallas MavericksPortland Trail BlazersMike SchmitzMasai UjiriNico HarrisonMichael FinleyMatt RiccardiLuka DoncicAnthony Davis

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks hired Mike Schmitz as general manager on Friday, naming the Portland Trail Blazers' assistant GM to his new role three days after introducing Masai Ujiri as team president and alternate governor. The announcement gives Schmitz the title Nico Harrison held until he was fired in November, nine months after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a move that backfired badly on the franchise. The Mavericks said Schmitz would oversee day-to-day management and strategic alignment in the club's basketball operations department. The move comes with Dallas still not having provided any clarity on the future roles of Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi. They were named co-interim GMs when Harrison was fired and engineered the trade of Anthony Davis, the centerpiece acquired by Dallas in the Doncic deal, to Washington. Schmitz and the Nigerian-raised Ujiri have strong ties to Africa. Schmitz has spent time working on youth basketball development in Ujiri's homeland and has served as an assistant coach with the Ugandan national team. Schmitz joined the Trail Blazers in 2022 after spending five years as a draft analyst at ESPN. “I have tremendous respect for Masai, this ownership group and the vision they have for the future of the franchise,” Schmitz said. “I'm excited to get to work alongside the talented people already in place and help build a championship-caliber organization.” \\\_ AP NBA:

Q&A

Who is Mike Schmitz and what is his new role with the Mavericks?

Mike Schmitz is the newly appointed general manager of the Dallas Mavericks, previously serving as assistant GM for the Portland Trail Blazers.

What changes have occurred in the Mavericks' management recently?

The Mavericks recently hired Masai Ujiri as team president and appointed Mike Schmitz as general manager, following the firing of Nico Harrison.

What is Mike Schmitz's background in basketball?

Before joining the Mavericks, Mike Schmitz was a draft analyst at ESPN and has experience in youth basketball development in Africa.

Mavericks hire Mike Schmitz away from Trail Blazers as GM days after naming Masai Ujiri president

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