Masai Ujiri Just Took Over the Mavericks and the NBA Better Pay Attention
The Dallas Mavericks just hired Masai Ujiri as their new team president and alternate governor. Yeah, that Masai Ujiri. The guy who built Toronto's first NBA championship. And he's walking into an absolute mess.
This is not a lateral move. Ujiri spent 12 seasons with the Raptors from 2013 to 2025, and before that he was the general manager of the Denver Nuggets from 2010 to 2013. The man won Executive of the Year in 2012-13. Over his 15 seasons running these two franchises combined, he posted a 690-504 record with 12 playoff appearances. That's a resume that speaks for itself.
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But here's the situation Ujiri just walked into: The Mavericks finished 26-56 this season. That's the worst record since 2017-18 when they went 24-58. The team fired general manager Nico Harrison back on November 11th after a disastrous 3-8 start, and the franchise has been reeling since the February 2025 trade sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Yeah, you read that right. Their superstar is gone and the fan base is still furious about it.
Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi have been running things as co-interim general managers since Harrison got the axe. Now it's Ujiri's turn to fix this broken franchise.
There's Hope in Cooper Flagg
On the bright side, Dallas has Cooper Flagg. The 19-year-old forward was the No. 1 overall draft pick and earned Rookie of the Year honors. Flagg averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists over 70 games. He's the foundation Ujiri can build around.
"I'm honored to join the Dallas Mavericks and step into this role at such an important time for the organization," Ujiri said in his official statement. "We will win in Dallas."
That kind of confidence is exactly what this organization needs right now. Ujiri's track record says he knows how to build winners. The question is whether he can do it in Dallas.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.