Dallas Mavericks name Masai Ujiri as new president months after firing Nico Harrison
The Dallas Mavericks are bringing in a new leader with Masai Ujiri, the team officially shared on Monday.
An announcement shared by the team lauded Ujiri as "one of the NBA's most accomplished architects" to lead the Mavericks as president and alternate governor. He will oversee all aspects of the team's basketball operations, including building up the roster, managing player personnel and scouting, along with working with Mavericks leadership to shape its basketball philosophy and long-term direction.
"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," said Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont. "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."
"I'm honored to join the Dallas Mavericks and step into this role at such an important time for the organization," said Ujiri. "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."
Ujiri's background
The Mavericks touted Ujiri's experience, saying he has a decade of experience leading NBA front offices. Most recently, the team notes he was the vice chairman and president of the Toronto Raptors; he led the team to its first NBA Championship in 2019.
The Mavericks also note that Ujiri founded the nonprofit organization Giants of Africa in 2003, which aims to "empower youth across the continent through basketball, education and leadership development". He also was named a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocate in 2025.
Ujiri, the team notes, started his career as an international scout with the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets. He rose through the ranks to lead basketball operations in Denver and was named NBA Executive of the Year. Earlier in 2026, Ujiri also joined the ownership group for the WNBA's Toronto Tempo.
Taking over after Nico Harrison's firing
The announcement of Ujiri's hiring comes roughly six months after the team announced it had fired general manager Nico Harrison. In the wake of Harrison's firing, the Mavericks appointed Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers as the search for a replacement got underway.
In a letter to fans, Mavs owner Patrick Dumont said that no one associated with the organization was happy with the start of what they thought would be "a promising season."
Harrison's firing happened after uproar over Luka Doncic's shocking trade to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.
The anger from the Mavs fan base following the Doncic trade was one of the biggest stories since it happened, with protesting fans being ejected from the arena and demonstrations before games. Mavs fans started a movement - chanting "fire Nico" at any opportunity.
Harrison said he knew Doncic was important to the fans, but not to the level that a trade would elicit the reaction it did.
In June 2025, Harrison said he thought drafting No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg would help heal his relationship with fans.