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Masai Ujiri Named Mavericks President, Oversees Basketball Operations

5/6/2026

Summary

Masai Ujiri Named President

The Dallas Mavericks announced on May 4, 2026 that Masai Ujiri (basketball executive) is the team president and alternate governor.
Ujiri will oversee basketball-operations functions, including roster construction, player personnel and scouting.
He previously guided the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA championship in 2019 as vice chairman and president.
Ujiri founded the Giants of Africa in 2003 and was appointed a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocate in 2025.

Summary

Dallas Draft Restrictions

Dallas will not control a first-round pick after summer until 2031 due to swaps with Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Mavericks hold the 30th and 48th picks and two projected first-round slots around No. 8-9.
Past trades to surround Luka Doncic have exhausted premium draft assets, leaving limited future capital.
Masai Ujiri joins Hall of Famer Rick Welts, hired as CEO in 2024, after a president search that ran from December to May 4, 2026.

Summary

Ujiri Reviews Kidd

Masai Ujiri said he has spoken with head coach Jason Kidd and will keep meeting to evaluate organization.
Kidd’s 2025 contract extension means firing him would trigger a salary-cap penalty for Dallas.
Kidd guided Dallas to the 2022 Western Conference Finals and the 2024 NBA Finals, its best postseason since 2011.
As alternate governor, Masai Ujiri has final say on basketball moves, with owner Patrick Dumont able to overrule him.

Summary

Ujiri Appointed

Dallas Mavericks appointed executive Masai Ujiri after a lunch with owner Patrick Dumont in Las Vegas in December.
Stakeholder Mark Cuban, who holds 27 % of the Mavericks, was not involved as the franchise evaluated Bob Myers and Tim Connelly, though Connelly’s interview was not secured.
Ujiri’s deal makes him a part-owner of Toronto Tempo, WNBA expansion team, and was announced before NBA Draft Lottery, leaving little time for Dallas’s draft strategy.

History

Historical Context

The Toronto Raptors entered the NBA as a 1995 expansion team, endured years of rebuilding, and after Masai Ujiri became general manager in 2013 they captured the league’s first non-U.S. title in 2019, ending a 25-year Canadian championship drought. Dallas, seeking that blueprint, appointed Ujiri president in 2026 alongside CEO Rick Welts and owner Patrick Dumont.

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Masai Ujiri Named President

The Dallas Mavericks announced on May 4, 2026 that Masai Ujiri (basketball executive) is the team president and alternate governor.
Ujiri will oversee basketball-operations functions, including roster construction, player personnel and scouting.
He previously guided the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA championship in 2019 as vice chairman and president.
Ujiri founded the Giants of Africa in 2003 and was appointed a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocate in 2025.

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