Overview
- At his introductory news conference Tuesday in Dallas, Ujiri said the franchise would heal from the Luka Dončić trade and vowed to turn Cooper Flagg into the team’s next cornerstone.
- Ujiri was hired Monday as team president and alternate governor, taking charge of all basketball operations after a six-month search that began with Nico Harrison’s November firing.
- Asked about coach Jason Kidd’s future, Ujiri declined to commit and said he will evaluate the staff after meeting with Kidd, while the roles of interim executives Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi also remain unresolved.
- The Mavericks finished 26–56 as Flagg won Rookie of the Year, and the club now turns to Sunday’s draft lottery, where Dallas has a 6.7% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 29% shot at the top four.
- Governor Patrick Dumont led the hire as Mark Cuban was not directly involved, and Ujiri brings a résumé that includes the Raptors’ 2019 championship and the NBA’s 2013 Executive of the Year award with Denver.