Former Raptors executive Masai Ujiri finds a new NBA home

Toronto Raptors NBA basketball team President Masai Ujiri speaks to the media regarding the recent trades in Toronto, Jan. 18, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP, file)

DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks hired former Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri as team president and alternate governor on Monday, the latest step in moving on from the Luka Doncic trade that ended up being a significant setback for the club.

Ujiri was in charge of the Raptors when they acquired Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs and won the 2018-19 NBA title in Leonard's only season with Toronto.

The 55-year-old Ujiri replaces Nico Harrison, who was fired as general manager in November. That was nine months after Dallas acquired oft-injured center Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers in the deal for Doncic, a generational star in his prime.

Ujiri was with the Raptors for 13 seasons before getting fired as president and vice chairman last June. He was first hired as executive vice president and general manager.

The club said Ujiri would be in charge of all aspects of basketball operations while working with team leadership on the long-term direction of the Mavericks.

“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. “We welcome his energy and determination along with his leadership, experience and many accomplishments as a basketball executive.”

Former Dallas guard Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi had served as co-general managers since Harrison was fired. They engineered the trade of Davis to Washington in February after injury limited him to 29 games over parts of two seasons.

Ujiri inherits a new face of the franchise in Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick last summer. The Mavericks landed Flagg in the draft lottery despite just a 1.8% chance to get the top pick. Dallas has a 6.7% chance in this year's lottery.

The Mavericks could emerge as playoff contenders despite missing the postseason the past two years following a run to the 2024 NBA Finals behind Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Dallas lost to Boston in five games.

If Ujiri keeps Irving, the Mavericks will have a pair of one-and-done Duke alums in him and Flagg, who led the Blue Devils to the Final Four as just the fourth freshman to win Associated Press men's player of the year honors.

Irving and Flagg haven't played together because Irving ended up missing the entire season after tearing an ACL in March 2025.

Dallas also has a promising young center from Duke in Dereck Lively II, who has had several injury issues in his three seasons.

Other pieces of the Dallas core include four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson, who recovered from a slow start to have a solid year from 3-point range. He finished the season fourth all-time in 3-point buckets.

Forward P.J. Washington was a key contributor on the team that went to the finals, and Naji Marshall became a scoring option on an injury-depleted roster.

Ujiri was fired with a season left on his contract with the Raptors, who reached the second round after winning the championship but didn't win a playoff series over his final five seasons with the franchise.

The Nigerian-raised Ujiri is co-founder of Giants of Africa, a nonprofit launched in 2003 to focus on empowering youth across the continent through basketball, education and leadership development.

Ujiri was an international scout with Orlando and Denver before rising to head of basketball operations with the Nuggets. This year, he joined the ownership group of the WNBA expansion team in Toronto.

“I’m honored to join the Dallas Mavericks and step into this role at such an important time for the organization,” Ujiri said. “This is a franchise with a proud history, passionate fans, and a commitment to winning. We will win in Dallas.”

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Schuyler Dixon, The Associated Press