Who is Mike Schmitz? 5 things to know about the Mavs' new GM with a reputation as a draft guru

2. Previous NBA experience

Schmitz sent four seasons as the assistant general manager for the Portland Trail Blazers. At 36 years old, Schmitz has built a strong reputation as an NBA evaluator with vast experience in domestic and international landscapes. With his background being in talent evaluation, take a look at the Blazers' notable draft picks while Schmitz was in Portland.

3. Used to work in media

His assistant GM gig with Portland was his first job in the league. Prior to that, he spent five years as a draft analyst with ESPN and also began working at DraftExpress as a scout in 2012. DraftExpress is a comprehensive scouting service that professional, international and collegiate teams use as a resource. He has also previously covered the Phoenix Suns as a writer and video analyst. Jonathan Givony, the founder of DraftExpress, weighed in on Schmitz's hire: "From a cold email to GM of the Dallas Mavericks. What a rise! Mike earned this through relentless work and an incredible basketball mind. And he's an even better friend than he is a talent evaluator. Couldn't be prouder of you, brother."

4. A suspension and a fine

Schmitz has a suspension on his record during his short time in the league. Earlier this year, Schmitz and another front office member were suspended for two weeks and the Blazers were fined $100,000 for a draft violation. The violation, which was self-reported by the team, was due to Schmitz and Segi Oliva having illegal contact with Chinese big man Yang Hansen two years before he was selected with the No. 16 pick in the 2025 draft. Schmitz and Oliva went to China to scout Hansen in 2023, but teams are not allowed to contact prospects before they make their early declaration for the draft.

5. He was an early investor in Luka Doncic, others

Mavs fans may want to read Schmitz's feature story on ESPN profiling former Dallas superstar and then-NBA prospect Luka Doncic all the way back in Oct. 2017. "He's handled the pressure-cooker that comes along with being a childhood prodigy with tremendous poise to this point, producing at an extremely high level against NBA-caliber talent," Schmitz wrote. "Very few 'boy wonder' types live up to the usually-lofty expectations. Many fizzle out, peaking too early or falling victim to the hype. As has been the case since those early days with Union Olimpija, Doncic seems to be an exception." He was also one of the early investors in Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama. On Brian Windorst's podcast all the way back in 2020, Schmitz raved about Wembanyama, who was 16 years old at the time. “There’s a kid in Europe right now," he said. "Victor Wembanyama, who’s maybe the best prospect in the world. He’s 7-3 with almost an eight-foot wingspan. He blocks shots like Rudy Gobert and he shoots like [Kristaps] Porzingis. He can handle and pass. I’ve never seen anything like him.” You can read Schmitz's story on Wembanyama from Feb. 2020, headlined "Victory Wembanyama is one of the best long-term NBA prospects in the world" here. He's also got a receipt from the 2020 NBA draft that aged pretty nicely, too.

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