Mavericks hire Blazers’ Mike Schmitz as GM under Masai Ujiri
The Dallas Mavericks have employed former Portland Trail Blazers assistant common supervisor Mike Schmitz to supervise the franchise’s day-to-day basketball operations under president Masai Ujiri, the workforce introduced Friday.
Schmitz joined the Blazers’ entrance workplace in May of 2022 after serving as a draft analyst for ESPN since 2017.
In his new function as the Mavericks common supervisor, Schmitz will assist in “all areas of basketball operations including scouting, player personnel, strategic planning and organizational collaboration across departments.” The hire is without doubt one of the first by Ujiri, who formally joined Dallas as workforce president and different governor final week.
“Mike is one of the most respected evaluators and basketball minds in the NBA,” Ujiri stated in an announcement. “He brings intelligence, discipline, humility and a relentless work ethic to everything he does. Just as importantly, he understands how to build an aligned, collaborative culture across every part of a basketball organization. We are building something special in Dallas, and Mike will be a major part of that vision.”
The Mavs’ lead basketball govt roles have been open since workforce proprietor Patrick Dumont fired GM Nico Harrison on Nov. 11. That choice was made after Dallas stumbled to a 3-8 begin amid continued, intense fan backlash stemming from the stunning commerce of perennial All-NBA choice Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025, solely months faraway from the Mavs’ look within the 2024 NBA Finals.
Schmitz takes over a Mavericks workforce projected to obtain a excessive lottery choose in subsequent month’s draft, one yr after they chose reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 choose.
“Joining the Dallas Mavericks is an incredible opportunity,” Schmitz stated in an announcement. “I have tremendous respect for Masai, this ownership group and the vision they have for the future of this franchise. I’m excited to get to work alongside the talented people already in place and help build a championship-caliber organization.”
