Not even five full days into the job, Ujiri made his first significant move by hiring Mike Schmitz as the Mavericks’ new general manager, the team announced Friday.
Schmitz arrives in Dallas after serving four seasons as the assistant general manager for the Portland Trail Blazers, where he played pivotal roles in player evaluation, scouting, roster strategy and organizational planning. The 36-year-old widely regarded NBA talent evaluator has a vast level of experience in scouting across domestic and international professional basketball landscapes.
“Joining the Dallas Mavericks is an incredible opportunity,” Schmitz said in a prepared statement. “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.”
Schmitz’s hiring is rather timely because draft season is officially underway with the NBA draft lottery set for Sunday in Chicago, followed by the NBA draft combine. The Mavericks enter next month’s draft with three picks, highlighted by their first-round lottery pick. The Mavericks also have picks Nos. 30 and 48.
Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont entrusted Ujiri with complete control of all aspects of basketball operations. Ujiri succeeded Nico Harrison as the franchise’s lead basketball executive, but Schmitz was officially appointed as the successor to Harrison’s day-to-day role. He will report to Ujiri and will help lead basketball operations, including scouting, player personnel, strategic planning and organizational collaboration across departments.
Ujiri hinted during his introductory news conference that he would make external hires to the organization.
“Mike is one of the most respected evaluators and basketball minds in the NBA,” Ujiri said in a prepared statement. “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.”
Schmitz transitioned to the NBA to work for the Trail Blazers after he worked five years as a draft analyst for ESPN and worked previously for DraftExpress. He also served as an assistant coach for the Ugandan national team since 2018. He is a 2012 graduate of the University of Arizona, the same school that Mavericks guard Brandon Williams attended for two seasons.
Before Ujiri’s arrival, the Mavericks were led on an interim basis by former assistant general managers Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley, both of whom were candidates for the president of basketball operations role. Riccardi will represent the franchise in the drawing room of Sunday’s draft lottery for the second consecutive year, hoping to lead the Mavericks to another jump toward No. 1.
The Mavericks will find out where their lottery pick will be positioned during Sunday’s draft lottery. The results — good, bad or indifferent — will propel Schmitz into full swing with his new role.