The new boss of the Mavericks
Masai Ujiri now has a new home. The former Raptors executive, the same one who put together the 2019 championship team with Kawhi Leonard, was introduced on Monday as president and alternate governor of the Dallas Mavericks. A move that smacks of a total reset after the earthquake that was the transfer of Luka Doncic.
Ujiri, 55, arrives to replace Nico Harrison, fired in November. The reason? Nine months earlier, Harrison traded a generational star in his prime—Doncic—for an Anthony Davis who spent more time in the infirmary than on the court. The result: a team that did not see the playoffs in two years, although they reached the 2024 Finals.
“Masai Ujiri is one of the great basketball leaders of this generation,” said Mavs Governor Patrick Dumont. “His incorporation is a crucial step to meet our objectives.”
A roster with surprises
Ujiri inherits a squad that, ironically, looks like it will contend. Cooper Flagg, the Rookie of the Year who fell like a divine lottery with just 1.8% probability, is the new face of the franchise. And although Kyrie Irving missed the entire season due to a torn ligament in March 2025, his return promises fireworks.
Plus, there’s Klay Thompson, fourth all-time in 3-pointers made, bouncing back from a slow start to be a solid shooter. And Dereck Lively II, that young center who has had more injuries than a Game of Thrones character, but when he plays, he is a spectacle.
Ujiri’s legacy
Thirteen seasons in Toronto, one ring, and then the firing last June after the Raptors didn’t win a playoff series in five years. But Ujiri is not just any executive: he is the guy who built a champion from scratch, with a mix of intelligence, charisma and a nose for talent that few have.
Now, in Dallas, he has a chance to redeem himself. And with a roster that has Flagg, Irving and Thompson, plus a 6.7% lottery pick, the future looks less gray than the Texas winter sky. The question is: can Ujiri turn this chaos into a new golden chapter? Spoiler: if anyone can, it’s him.




