Mavericks name Mike Schmitz general manager under Masai Ujiri
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The Dallas Mavericks have appointed former Portland Trail Blazers assistant general manager Mike Schmitz as the club’s new general manager, the team announced Friday.
Schmitz, 37, will run the franchise’s daily basketball operations under recently hired president and alternate governor Masai Ujiri. His responsibilities include scouting, player personnel decisions, strategic planning and coordination across departments.
“Mike is one of the most respected evaluators and basketball minds in the NBA,” Ujiri said in a statement. “He brings intelligence, discipline, humility and a relentless work ethic to everything he does. We are building something special in Dallas, and Mike will be a major part of that vision.”
The hiring represents one of Ujiri’s first major front-office moves since he joined the Mavericks last week.
Background in scouting and analytics
Schmitz entered the Trail Blazers’ front office in May 2022 after five years as a draft analyst for ESPN. With Portland he held the title of assistant general manager, focusing on amateur evaluation, analytics and player development.
Filling a long-vacant role
The Mavericks had been without a permanent general manager since owner Patrick Dumont dismissed Nico Harrison on Nov. 11. That decision came after Dallas opened the season 3-8 and amid sustained fan anger over the February 2025 trade that sent perennial All-NBA guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, only months after the team’s appearance in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Schmitz inherits a roster expected to secure a high lottery selection in next month’s NBA draft. Dallas owns that pick one year after choosing eventual Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg first overall.
“Joining the Dallas Mavericks is an incredible opportunity,” Schmitz said in the team’s release. “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.”
Source: ESPN
