Masai Ujiri joining Dallas Mavericks as next president of basketball operationsUjiri has been a target of Mavericks leadership, including president Ethan Casson, for the last few weeks.
By
Mike Curtis,Staff WriterMay 4, 2026
TORONTO, ON - MAY 29: President Masai Ujiri of the Toronto Raptors addresses the media during practice and media availability as part of the 2019 NBA Finals on May 29, 2019 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Former Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri has finalized a deal to become the Mavericks' new president of basketball operations, a team official familiar with the decision told
The Dallas Morning News. Ujiri will also serve as the team's alternate governor.
A formal announcement is expected late Monday morning and an introductory news conference will be held Tuesday afternoon.
The splashy hire arrives six days before Sunday's
NBA draft lottery, ahead of Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont's timeline to have a new leader of basketball in place by mid-May.
Ujiri has been a target of Mavericks leadership, including Dumont and president Ethan Casson, for the last few weeks. The hiring gives the Mavericks an experienced executive who won an NBA championship and a new leader to navigate a critical offseason.
Ujiri spent 12 years with the Raptors as executive vice president and general manager from 2013 to 2025. Toronto had five consecutive seasons of losing records before Ujiri's hiring. He transformed the franchise into a playoff contender, with seven straight postseason appearances. The Raptors won six division titles and finished the 2017-18 regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference (59-23).
Under Ujiri's leadership, Toronto won its first NBA title in franchise history in 2019, largely because of his decision to acquire Kawhi Leonard in a trade for DeMar DeRozan. The Raptors parted ways with Ujiri in 2025 after missing the playoffs in three straight seasons.
Before his long stint in Toronto, Ujiri spent three seasons as general manager and executive vice president of the Denver Nuggets. He was the architect of the 2012-13 Nuggets roster that won 57 games, which is tied for the most in franchise history. As a result, he was named the 2013 NBA Executive of the Year, the only non-American to win the award.
Ujiri, 55, was born in the United Kingdom and raised in Nigeria. He played professional basketball in Europe from 1991 to 2002 before he was hired by the Nuggets as an international scout. He spent four years in that role before he was named the Raptors' director of global scouting. He became the team's assistant general manager in 2008.
The Mavericks have been led by co-interim general managers
Matt Riccardi and
Michael Finley for the last five months, since the
firing of Nico Harrison on Nov. 11. There haven't been any decisions regarding their status with the franchise, a team official familiar with the situation said, but Riccardi was expected to be one of the team's representatives at the lottery in Chicago, along with Rolando Blackman.
Ujiri succeeds Harrison, who made the controversial decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.
Ujiri will run the show in Dallas despite reports of Dumont's interest in Tim Connelly, who is under contract as president of basketball operations with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has several immediate needs to address, including the hiring of a new director of health and performance following the firing of Johann Bilsborough.
The Mavericks also have three picks in next month's draft, including a first-round lottery pick that will be determined Sunday.
Ujiri recently joined the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, the city's new WNBA franchise that will begin its inaugural season this month. He expressed a desire to win another NBA title, according to a recent ESPN report.
The Mavericks would appear to be far from the championship contention after finishing 26-56 this season, but they have a fresh opportunity to build a roster around Cooper Flagg, who was named NBA Rookie of the Year last week.
