Mavericks Announce New Team President As Permanent Nico Harrison Replacement
The Dallas Mavericks ended the 2025-26 season with a 26-56 record, the joint seventh-worst record in the NBA last season. This has been a quick fall from their 2024 NBA Finals appearance, greatly accelerated by the decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025 for Anthony Davis.
The mastermind behind the Doncic trade was Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, who negotiated the deal in secret with Lakers President Rob Pelinka. After months of backlash, the Mavericks finally fired Harrison in November 2025 and then traded Anthony Davis in February 2026 to have a clean slate as they focus on the future.
The Mavericks had assistant general manager Matt Ricardi and Vice President of Player Personnel Michael Finley serve as interim co-GMs after Harrison was fired, but both will return to their original roles, as ESPN reports that the Mavericks will hire former Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri as their new Team President and Alternate Governor.
"The Dallas Mavericks have agreed to hire Masai Ujiri as their team president and alternate governor, landing a lead basketball executive with proven champion experience after a six-month search process, sources told ESPN."
Ujiri built the Raptors squad, which served as LeBron James' primary rival during his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015 to 2018. After James' departure, Ujiri boldly went all-in by acquiring Kawhi Leonard as a one-season rental to push for a championship.
That push resulted in Toronto winning the 2019 NBA Championship, but the team's worsening results after that title win led to Ujiri's exit from the franchise in 2025.
He's the only non-American winner of the NBA Executive of the Year Award, winning for his work as the general manager of the Denver Nuggets in 2013.
Ujiri now returns to an NBA front office with the Mavericks, being entrusted to lead the franchise through the Cooper Flagg era. The team lacks future draft assets with control over none of their first-round picks from 2027 to 2030.
Ujiri will have to find hidden gems with limited assets to maximize team-building around Flagg. Dallas also projects to have cap space in the 2027 offseason, so having a well-respected NBA figure such as Ujiri at the helm of it will be comforting for Mavericks fans.
Nico Harrison had no previous basketball front office experience before running the Mavericks, which came through in his Doncic trade dealings. With a veteran at the helm now, the Mavericks will hope this leads to years of success with a new franchise cornerstone leading the way.
Related: Klay Thompson Speaks on Mavericks Future After Final Regular Season Game
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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 12:24 PM.