Masai Ujiri’s time away from the NBA didn’t last long. Less than a year after parting ways with the Toronto Raptors, Ujiri is reportedly joining the Dallas Mavericks as the team’s new president and alternate governor, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Ujiri, 55, has plenty of experience in that role. After working his way up through the Denver Nuggets, Ujiri joined the Raptors in 2013. He experienced plenty of success with the club, eventually working his way into the team president role in 2016. A few years later, Ujiri helped the team win its first championship. In order to do so, Ujiri made a controversial trade — shipping away then-franchise icon DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard. The move wound up playing a pivotal role in the Raptors’ title, as Leonard proved to be the perfect fit with the Raptors.
Advertisement
The team declined following Leonard’s departure after the championship season. The Raptors made the playoffs in two of the next three years, but were bounced in the first round of the postseason during the 2021-22 NBA season. The team then missed the playoffs the next three seasons, leading to Ujiri leaving the team a day after the 2025 NBA Draft.
This story will be updated.
Read the full article here