DALLAS (AP) — Masai Ujiri hadn't even taken a question from reporters as team president and alternate governor of the Dallas Mavericks when he tacitly acknowledged the chaotic 15 months that have enveloped the franchise.
“Listen, I hope to bring calm,” Ujiri said Tuesday in opening remarks at his introductory news conference just a few moments after trying to soothe his distressed youngest son Amani, the 5-year-old who came to the stage wanting his dad to hold him.
Ujiri didn't even have to mention the ill-fated trade of Luka Doncic that ultimately led to the firing of his predecessor, former general manager Nico Harrison.
Or the crazy good luck Dallas got in landing Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick despite just a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery.
Or Flagg's difficult debut that ended with 56 losses, but with the former Duke star winning Rookie of the Year.
“In Africa, we say when kings go, kings come. And a king went and we have a little prince here. Now we’re going to turn him into a king,” the Nigerian-raised Ujiri said. “I think we have to start thinking that way. Understand what we’ve gone through. But I hope we can figure out how we reset as an organization with the fans. There’s no other way to do this than winning.”
The Mavericks were just nine months removed from losing to Boston in five games in the 2024 NBA Finals when Harrison traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for older and oft-injured center Anthony Davis.
Nine months after that — when the 2025-26 season started slowly — the Mavericks fired Harrison. Then his interim replacements, co-general managers Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley, sent Davis to Washington before the trade deadline this year. Because of injuries, Davis played just 29 games over parts of two seasons.
The hiring of Ujiri, who spent 13 seasons in charge of basketball operations with Toronto and won a title before getting fired last year, has the feeling of the final step in moving on from the Doncic deal. Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont — a target for plenty of criticism himself — views it a bit differently.
“In my mind, it’s thinking about the future,” said Dumont, who sat to Ujiri's right on a stage on the Mavericks' practice court at American Airlines Center, with reporters, family members and other team executives seated in front of them while a couple dozen more members of the organization stood behind those chairs.
“I agree with all the remarks that Masai had about it,” Dumont said. “I really appreciate his perspective. It’s one that I agree with, and I’m looking for Masai now to help lead us to a championship and also lead us to create a great team with great character, with the right focus.”
Kidd's future
Ujiri was noncommittal when asked about the return of coach Jason Kidd, who signed an extension during the deep playoff run two years ago.
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When asked if Ujiri was saying Kidd's status was up in the air, the 55-year-old reminded reporters that George Karl remained coach in Denver for three seasons after Ujiri took charge of basketball operations there and that Dwane Casey kept the job for Ujuri's first five seasons with the Raptors.
“There’s no way to read this,” Ujiri said. “I’m going to hear coach Jason Kidd out, his thoughts on everything and follow a lot on what he’s saying. Because some of this stuff here, I don’t know. If you go back to the history, it’s the same thing. I have to follow a process here, and I’m excited to meet with them.”
Blockbusters of the past
Ujiri has been a part of blockbusters for superstars coming and going, first with Denver when he sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks and went on to win Executive of the Year two years later.
With the Raptors, he traded for disgruntled San Antonio star Kawhi Leonard, who led Toronto to the 2018-19 NBA title in his only season with Toronto. Ujiri was let go last June after the Raptors went five consecutive seasons without a first-round playoff victory.
Led by Doncic and fellow star guard Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks made the finals two years ago for the first time since winning their only title in 2011. But now they've missed the playoffs two years in a row. The last time Dallas missed a third consecutive postseason was Doncic's rookie year in 2018-19.
“What I’ve found out is if you win one, you want to win again,” Ujiri said. “And I know you guys have tasted that. Everybody here, the passion of what happens here and how we feel in healing, it’s because you want to win again. I want to win again.”
A dream pairing for Dallas?
The Mavericks ended up sitting Irving the entire season after he tore an ACL in March 2025. Now that Davis is gone, the lone remaining question is what it looks like with Irving and Flagg — both one-and-done Duke standouts who became No. 1 picks — are on the court together.
“I dream like you dream, man. All of us dream. I want to see that,” Ujiri said. “I think it’s going to be pretty cool, and I know it’s going to help Cooper because Kyrie likes to play off the ball, too. This is going to interesting for us.”
Starting with next week's draft lottery. The Mavericks have a 6.7% shot at the top pick.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba
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