Masai Ujiri takes over as Dallas Mavericks president to stabilize the franchise after front-office turmoil and lead the team back to contention.
Freshly hired Masai Ujiri walked to the podium in Dallas without fielding a single reporter question before acknowledging the storm that had battered the Mavericks for over a year. 'Listen, I hope to bring calm,' Ujiri told the crowd Tuesday at his first news conference, moments after cradling his distraught young son Amani, who rushed onstage seeking comfort. The remarks came without an explicit reference to the disastrous trade that cost Dallas its franchise cornerstone, Luka Doncic, or the improbable top selection of Cooper Flagg despite a mere 1.8% chance in the lottery.
Drawing on African wisdom, Ujiri described the Mavericks’ fractured past and the arrival of a potential savior. 'In Africa, we say when kings go, kings come. And a king went and we have a little prince here. Now we're going to turn him into a king,' said the Nigeria-born executive. 'I think we have to start thinking that way. Understand what we've gone through. But I hope we can figure out how we reset as an organization with the fans. There's no other way to do this than winning.'
The club had replaced longtime GM Nico Harrison, first with interim co-GMs Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley, who shipped Anthony Davis to Washington before this year’s deadline; Davis appeared in just 29 games across two seasons due to injuries. Hiring Ujiri—who spent 13 years atop Toronto’s basketball ops and won a title before his 2025 dismissal—feels like the final closure on the Doncic era. Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont, who sat beside Ujiri during the announcement, framed the move as a forward-looking step.
'In my mind, it's thinking about the future,' Dumont said. 'I agree with all the remarks that Masai had about it. I really appreciate his perspective. It's one that I agree with, and I'm looking for Masai now to help lead us to a championship.'
Ujiri declined to commit on Jason Kidd’s status after the coach signed a long-term extension following a deep playoff run two years earlier. When pressed if that meant Kidd’s position was uncertain, Ujiri reminded reporters of parallel cases in Denver and Toronto where coaches outlasted executive transitions.
'There's no way to read this,' Ujiri said. 'I'm going to hear coach Jason Kidd out, his thoughts on everything and follow a lot on what he's saying. Because some of this stuff here, I don't know. If you go back to the history, it's the same thing. I have to follow a process here, and I'm excited to meet with them.'
Ujiri’s résumé includes blockbuster deals from his Denver tenure when he sent Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks and later earned Executive of the Year honors. In Toronto, he acquired Kawhi Leonard from San Antonio; the superstar led the Raptors to the 2018–19 championship in his lone season before Ujiri was let go last June after five straight first-round exits.
With Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Dallas reached the NBA Finals two years ago—their first appearance since their 2011 title—but missed the playoffs two straight seasons afterward. The roster was further reshaped when Irving tore an ACL in March 2025 and was sidelined all year, while Davis departed via trade. Now the only remaining question is how Irving and Flagg—both one-and-done Duke stars who became top overall picks—will coexist on the floor.
'What I've found out is if you win one, you want to win again,' Ujiri said. 'And I know you guys have tasted that. Everybody here, the passion of what happens here and how we feel in healing, it's because you want to win again. I want to win again.'
The 2025–26 season opened with the Mavericks at 56 losses, yet Flagg still claimed Rookie of the Year honors. Dallas now turns its attention to the upcoming draft lottery, where the team holds a 6.7% chance at the top pick.
'I dream like you dream, man. All of us dream. I want to see that,' Ujiri said. 'I think it's going to be pretty cool, and I know it's going to help Cooper because Kyrie likes to play off the ball, too. This is going to interesting for us.'