Was Masai Ujiri a wise choice?

The Dallas Mavericks made the flashy hire of Masai Ujiri on Monday afternoon, bolstering their front office less than a week before the NBA Draft Lottery determines where the Mavericks will be picking in June’s Draft. After Nico Harrison was removed from his GM responsibilities in November, the Mavericks operated somewhat unconventionally with no formal GM. Instead, they had the tandem of Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley running day-to-day operations, a pair that proved quite effective when they orchestrated

the Anthony Davis trade that reset the Mavericks’ timeline and cap constraints.

With the “Fincardi” hivemind already in house, and virtually no solid evidence the Mavs’ even had a realistic outside target they were engaged with, the hiring of Ujiri comes as something of a surprise. Added to the Harrison departure and Davis trade, the Mavs continue to show they are turning the chapter, not just the page, on the Harrison era. While that distancing is surely welcome to the fanbase, the question remains as to whether Ujiri is the right choice.

What’s in a name?

In just a few hours post-hire, we are already seeing some confusion as to what role Ujiri will play. Logically, this was the GM hire to replace the void left by Harrison, and it seems many have understood it as such. In reality, that is not the case. Ujiri is “President” and “Alternate Governor.” Nowhere has the team officially referred to him as the GM. In fact, the Mavericks’ official press release clearly leaves that title out of his job description, despite said description heavily crossing over with what a GM normally does. Per the official news from the Mavericks’ website:

“Ujiri will oversee all aspects of the Mavericks’ basketball operations, including roster construction, player personnel, and scouting, while working with team leadership to shape the organization’s basketball philosophy and long-term direction.”

While some of that certainly sounds akin to a GM’s usual and customary duties, it also seems to indicate that Ujiri will have much more control than what may have been expected of a direct GM hire. On the other hand, maybe this is just another quirk of how the Mavericks have long done business. Recall that Mavericks’ longtime “GM” Donnie Nelson was not actually the GM in title. Technically, the Mavs did not have a GM for many years under Nelson’s leadership (remember Gersson Rosas’ cup-of-coffee hire as GM?). Time will tell exactly what Ujiri will be doing, but one thing is certain – he will play a major role in the Cooper Flagg era.

What is an Alternate Governor?

While we can only speculate at this point, it’s safe to say Ujiri as an “Alternate Governor” is a tremendous positive for the franchise. Why? This title seems to be deliberate in that it will likely allow Ujiri to stand in for the actual Governor, majority owner Patrick Dumont. In other words, Ujiri can likely be at the table for any NBA Board of Governors-related activities. With all due respect to Dumont, having a respected basketball executive at the table instead of a relatively new owner who’s early legacy is tarnished by the trade of Luka Doncic and poor fan relations, is a massive, massive win for the Mavericks. This further speaks to my earlier supposition that Ujiri’s influence is farther-reaching than that of a typical GM.

Safe bet

Ujiri is, simply put, a safe bet. Don’t let that fool you into thinking he will be an ineffectual stand-in. My calling him a safe bet in this context is a compliment. Ujiri is the antithesis of the outsider-turned-GM the Mavericks previously had making material decisions for the team. He is a well-respected, known quantity in the NBA landscape for over a decade-and-a-half. He was named Executive of the Year in 2012-2013 and oversaw the 2019 Toronto Raptors Championship. This is a big name hire that shows the Mavs are getting back to convention with an established individual.

Good draft history

Ujiri has show effectiveness on both the high and low end of the NBA Draft. Convenient, given the Mavericks have a lottery pick and a late first round pick this summer. To his credit, Ujiri drafted Pascal Siakam with the 27^th pick, Scottie Barnes with the 4^th pick and OG Anunoby with the 23^rd pick over a five-year span. Talent evaluation for a team that so often treated the Draft as an afterthought is a boon. Granted the Mavs don’t have a whole lot in the draft cupboard after this offseason, but that could change with a single trade. Even if it doesn’t, the Mavs need to nail their upcoming picks and Ujiri has at least demonstrated an ability to evaluate talent even in the latter half the first round.

There are two sides to every coin, of course, and there is a fair argument to be made that Ujiri was less impressive in his final years with the Raptors. Nonetheless, this is a big-name hire that shows Dumont is taking things seriously, even to the point of relinquishing some decision-making sway. Personally, I’m hopeful he will retain the services of both Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley as something of official co-GMs. That collective could (somewhat) quietly be a highly effective front office. In the early hours of the hire, this feels like a good day in Mavsland.

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