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“I have spoken on the phone once with Masai [Ujiri] for about 120 seconds,” Cuban continued, in response to emailed questions from The News. “Same with Patrick [Dumont]; day of [Ujiri’s] hiring. “I’ve had two texts with Masai, both I think maybe 2 or 3 word responses, a couple with no response. Which is fine. His choice. I absolutely expected it when they hired Masai. That’s why they hired him. To run basketball. “Fans are excited to see what happens and as a Mavs fan, so am I.”
Shams Charania: "My understanding is Kyrie Irving's rehab has gone amazing. There was a sense during last season that, you know, if the Mavericks were playing at a very competitive level, like Kyrie Irving could have potentially come back in December, January, but given the way the season was going, and it obviously didn't make sense for the Mavericks either to rush Kyrie Irving back onto the floor. But from my understanding, he's fully recovered, 100% with that ACL tear from a couple seasons ago. He's been fully entrenched in the Mavericks' plans this offseason. Him and Dusty May, they've spoken, him and Masai Ujiri, the new president, they've spoken, Mike Schmitz, their new general manager, has spoken with Kyrie Irving as well. So they're entering next season, Patrick Dumont, the owner, he really wants to see Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg in this team next season and how that duo looks because, you know, Kyrie Irving is the other statesman of this team."
Josh Lewenberg: Should also note, as I have before: in 13 years under this Masai Ujiri and now Bobby Webster-led front office, the Raptors have never moved multiple 1st-round picks in a trade. Don't expect them to do it for a 35-year-old Kawhi Leonard.
Mavericks president Masai Ujiri has interest in reuniting with Kawhi Leonard, multiple league sources with knowledge of Dallas’ thinking told The Athletic. The Mavericks and LA Clippers have discussed a deal that would send the seven-time All-Star Leonard to Dallas for a package that would include P.J. Washington, Klay Thompson and draft picks, league sources said.
Mike Curtis: Asked Masai Ujiri about hiring Dusty May as Mavs coach: “Dusty stood out in many ways. I saw him in Chicago in the predraft camp & observed him. Talking to people & it’s a different ball game with NIL & college & how you operate with youth. It’s almost like a professional league in college. Many things translate.”
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"We set out to find a leader who embodies the values we want to define our organization," said Dallas Mavericks President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri. "Dusty has won at every stage of his career because of his ability to build. He develops players, creates accountability, and brings people together around a shared standard of excellence. His work ethic is extraordinary, and his teams consistently reflect his values. When you study his journey, you see someone who has earned every opportunity through preparation, discipline, humility, and an unwavering commitment to improvement. We believe those qualities make him the right leader for the Dallas Mavericks."
“I am honored to join the Dallas Mavericks organization," said May. "This is one of the most respected franchises in professional sports, with passionate fans, a talented roster, and a clear commitment to building a championship organization. I am grateful to Patrick Dumont, Masai Ujiri, and the Mavericks organization for this opportunity, and I look forward to helping bring another championship to the city of Dallas."
That plan was more than a decade in the making. He reached the first goal at the age of 32 — a little behind schedule. But when Dallas Mavericks team president Masai Ujiri hired him as the youngest general manager in the NBA on May 8, a few days before his 36th birthday, Schmitz was right on time for his dream job. “The timelines, maybe looking back, were a little arbitrary, round numbers,” Schmitz told The Dallas Morning News. “But I always believe in setting goals for yourself and focusing on the steps it takes to get there and kind of getting lost in the work.”
Shams Charania: "Think back to the last eight months. Patrick Dumont, the Mavericks owner, you let go of Nico Harrison and then bring in Masai Ujiri to run this organization, fire Jason Kidd within weeks after bringing in Masai Ujiri. Throughout the onset of the process, it was John Scheyer and Dusty May as the top two targets for the Dallas Mavericks. That's who they really zoned in on. A group of assistants were interviewed as well, but they landed on Dusty May. A lot of executives around the NBA believe that Dusty May has been destined to make the jump. He was motivated, he wanted to do it, and that's what comes through these opportunities. You need both sides, the coach and the team, ready to make this jump."
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Marc J. Spears on Kyrie Irving: I do think he'll be back on the roster. I know their owner is really, really high on seeing him and Cooper Flagg play together. And then Masai Ujiri had said in his introductory press conference that he wanted to see that as well.
In the wake of Dallas moving on from Jason Kidd, there have been rumblings of both Duke's Jon Scheyer and Michigan's Dusty May being linked to the vacancy. But ever since Masai Ujiri was hired to run basketball operations last month, the belief around the league is that the most likely outcome for Dallas is elevating one of the NBA's rising assistants. That's what Ujiri did the other two times he hired a coach, both with the Toronto Raptors: In 2018, he replaced Dwane Casey with Nick Nurse. In 2023, he replaced Nurse with Darko Rajakovic.
Mike Curtis: Asked Daniel Gafford for his impressions of Masai Ujiri & the decisions he’s made over the last month. “It is a business. I’m not necessarily surprised when it comes to some of the things that he’s done with the organization because I’m pretty sure he already had that in his back pocket when he got hired. I’m just sitting back & watching from afar…I’ve yet to get the chance to sit down & talk with him, but he made sure he called me & we had a good conversation on the phone.”