The Dallas Mavericks have officially announced the hiring of Masai Ujiri as their new team president and alternate governor, concluding a comprehensive six-month search process. Ujiri, a highly respected lead basketball executive, brings a championship pedigree to the franchise, having been the architect behind the Toronto Raptors' 2018-19 NBA championship team. His impressive 15-year tenure as a lead executive in the NBA also includes winning the Executive of the Year award with the Denver Nuggets in the 2012-13 season. Under his leadership, teams in Denver and Toronto compiled a combined 690-504 record and made the playoffs in 12 of his 15 seasons.

Mavs governor Patrick Dumont emphasized the organization's commitment to being a world-class entity focused on winning championships. Dumont stated, "Masai Ujiri is one of the great basketball leaders of this generation and his addition to our franchise is a critical step in meeting our goals." Ujiri, 55, expressed his honor in joining the Mavericks, noting the franchise's proud history, passionate fans, and commitment to winning, adding, "We will win in Dallas." A news conference featuring Dumont and Ujiri is scheduled for Tuesday in Dallas.

The hiring of Ujiri aligns with Dumont's strategy of bringing in experienced executives with strong credentials. This pattern was also evident in December 2024 with the hiring of former Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts as the Mavs' chief executive officer, luring the Hall of Famer out of retirement to oversee business operations as the team plans for a new arena. The search process for the lead basketball executive involved preliminary interest in other executives, including Minnesota Timberwolves president Tim Connelly, but the Mavericks ultimately moved on due to doubts about securing permission to engage in discussions with Connelly.

Dumont was highly recommended Ujiri by trusted league sources and first met with him during a four-hour lunch in Las Vegas in December. Welts and Mavs president of business operations Ethan Casson also met with Ujiri early in the process. Ujiri had not worked in the NBA this season after parting ways with the Raptors following the draft. Over several months of conversations, Dumont became confident that Ujiri excelled in areas prioritized for the role, such as building a strong culture, possessing outstanding communication skills, and demonstrating deep commitment.

The lead basketball executive role for the Mavericks had been vacant since Dumont fired general manager Nico Harrison on November 11. This decision followed a disappointing 3-8 start to the season and intense fan backlash stemming from the shocking trade of perennial All-NBA selection Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025, mere months after the Mavs' appearance in the 2024 NBA Finals. Following Harrison's dismissal, Dallas shifted its focus to a long-term rebuild centered around No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, the teenage sensation who earned Rookie of the Year honors.

Harrison's previous strategy had emphasized a "three- to four-year" contending window with Kyrie Irving, who sat out the entire season recovering from knee surgery, and Anthony Davis, an oft-injured, 10-time All-Star big man acquired as the centerpiece in the Doncic deal's return. The Mavericks, with Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi serving as co-interim general managers for the remainder of the season, later traded Davis to the Washington Wizards before the February deadline. This deal, which also shed the contracts of D'Angelo Russell and Jaden Hardy, was primarily aimed at creating financial flexibility to reshape the roster in the upcoming summer. Finley and Riccardi interviewed with Dumont during the search and were informed over the weekend that the franchise would hire someone else, with their futures to be determined after discussions with Ujiri.

Dallas concluded the season with a 26-56 record, securing the eighth-best odds in the draft lottery. Dumont prioritized having a new hire in place before the NBA draft combine, which begins May 10. This draft is particularly critical for the Mavericks, as they do not control their own first-round pick again until 2031 due to previous trades made to build a contending roster around Doncic. However, Dallas owns two first-round picks in the current draft: its own lottery pick and the No. 30 pick acquired from Washington in the Anthony Davis trade.

Ujiri's professional background includes a deep foundation in scouting, having entered the NBA as a scout in 2002 after a decade-long overseas playing career. His successful draft picks for the Raptors include All-Stars DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam, and Scottie Barnes. Beyond his NBA achievements, Ujiri established the nonprofit organization Giants of Africa in 2003. This organization has expanded across more than a dozen African countries, holding camps and building basketball infrastructure to identify and develop talent, enrich the lives of youth, and encourage them to pursue their dreams. Last month, Ujiri also joined the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, the city's new WNBA franchise set to begin play this season. Mark Cuban, who sold the majority share of the franchise to the Adelson and Dumont families in December 2023, was not directly involved in the search process for the new lead basketball executive.