Masai Ujiri Named Mavericks’ Team President

Ujiri will oversee all aspects of the Mavericks’ basketball operations, including roster construction, player personnel, and scouting, while working with team leadership to shape the organization’s basketball philosophy and long-term direction, according to a team press release.

Dallas fired GM Nico Harrison in November. It has been searching for a lead executive since that point. They finally made their choice on Monday.

“The Dallas Mavericks are committed to being a world-class organization with a strong culture and focused on winning championships. 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,” Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont said in a statement. “We are honored to have him join the Mavs family. We welcome his energy and determination along with his leadership, experience and many accomplishments as a basketball executive. We are very excited about the future of our team.”

Interim co-GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi handled operations following Harrison’s dismissal. Timberwolves executive Tim Connelly and former Warriors executive Bob Myers were reportedly high on Dallas’ list but the Mavericks had difficulty getting permission to interview them.

Ujiri joined the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, a WNBA expansion team, earlier this spring.

He was hired to run the Raptors’ front office in the spring of 2013 and remained in that role until last summer, when the team abruptly parted ways with him in late June. Changes within the Raptors’ ownership group were cited as one key reason for the split; the club had also missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons at the time of Ujiri’s exit.

Ujiri had spent the past year spending more time with his family and focusing on non-NBA pursuits. However, he remained open to the idea of returning to the NBA if the right opportunity arose.

“I’m honored to join the Dallas Mavericks and step into this role at such an important time for the organization,” Ujiri said in a statement. “This is a franchise with a proud history, passionate fans, and a commitment to winning. I look forward to working with our players, coaches, and leadership team to build something that reflects that standard and competes at the highest level. We will win in Dallas.”