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Masai Ujiri Takes Charge of Mavericks as Team President

He vows to restore calm by centering the rebuild on Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.

Overview

  • Dallas hired Ujiri on Monday as team president and alternate governor, placing him over all basketball operations after a six‑month search.
  • Following Tuesday's introduction in Dallas, he said he hopes to bring calm and signaled the franchise will build around Cooper Flagg after the Luka Dončić era.
  • Ujiri declined to commit to coach Jason Kidd's return and said he will meet with Kidd, with decisions on interim executives Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi to follow.
  • The draft lottery on May 10 is the first checkpoint of his tenure, with the Mavericks holding a 6.7% chance at the No. 1 pick.
  • The hire ends a turbulent stretch that included the 2025 Dončić trade and a 26–56 season, as governor Patrick Dumont led the search and reports say Mark Cuban was not directly involved.