After an exciting conclusion to the NBA’s first round series, the Dallas Mavericks have entered the postseason chat with the news that they are hiring former Toronto Raptors GM and President, Masai Ujiri, as the team’s new President of Basketball Operations.
ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news on Twitter Monday morning.
After a six-month search following the firing of Nico Harrison, Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont makes a major splash with his hire of a global basketball giant in Ujiri. https://t.co/F3SUjHcnwt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 4, 2026
Ujiri was named GM of the Raptors in 2013 and in 2018, he traded for Kawhi Leonard who then led Toronto to its first-ever NBA title in 2019. Two years later, Ujiri was promoted to President and Vice Chair of the franchise.
But in June 2025, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment shockingly decided to let Ujiri go.
In March of this year, Ujiri began working in basketball in Toronto again, this new with WNBA expansion franchise, the Toronto Tempo, with which he became a Principal Owner of the franchise’s ownership group.
“As an honourary Canadian, I’m excited to be part of the Tempo team as I believe they are building something truly historic — a franchise that represents not only Canada, but the future of basketball,” said Ujiri in a statement at the time. “I believe deeply in the vision behind the Tempo: creating female leaders, elevating women not just on the court, but across the organization, and building championship culture from day one. This is more than just a new team — it’s a defining moment in women’s basketball globally.”
Now, roughly a month later, Ujiri is headed to Dallas as team president and alternate governor, taking over for former GM Nico Harrison, who was fired in November.
