Mavericks Hire Masai Ujiri as New Team President

John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Mavericks Hire Masai Ujiri as New Team President

Originally posted on Trade Talk Sports | By Jackson Weber | Last updated May 4, 2026 1:04 PM ET

After one year away from the game, former Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri has found himself a new lead role in the NBA.

According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, Ujiri has been hired by the Dallas Mavericks as the new team president and alternate governor.

Charania broke the news on Monday afternoon on X (formerly Twitter).

“BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks are hiring Masai Ujiri as the franchise’s new Team President and Alternate Governor, sources tell me and @BannedMacMahon. Ujiri ran the Toronto Raptors from 2013 to 2025, serving as the architect of the 2019 NBA championship team,”

The 55-year-old Ujiri took the 2025–26 season off after a highly successful 12-year run in Toronto, which, as Charania noted, included building the 2018–19 championship roster. He went 545–419 in the regular season during his time with the Raptors, along with a 46–47 postseason record.

Governor Patrick Dumont has since commented on the organization’s excitement about the hire of Ujiri

“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… 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,”

Ujiri now takes over an intriguing Mavericks team looking to build around one of the brightest young players in basketball, in 2025 first overall pick Cooper Flagg. His first task will begin with the draft lottery this weekend, as a 26–56 2025–26 regular season gives Dallas a 6.7% chance of hitting the jackpot again heading into Sunday’s draw.

This article first appeared on Trade Talk Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: