{"id":280391,"date":"2026-05-05T22:31:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T22:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/280391\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T22:31:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T22:31:17","slug":"dallas-mavericks-name-former-toronto-raptors-exec-as-president-and-alternate-governor-dallas-innovates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/280391\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas Mavericks Name Former Toronto Raptors Exec as\u00a0President and\u00a0Alternate Governor \u00bb Dallas Innovates"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>                            <img width=\"970\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Dallas-Mavericks-President-and-Alternate-Governor-Masai-Ujiri-Photo-Mavericks.png\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"  \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"featured-caption\">Dallas Mavericks President and Alternate Governor Masai Ujiri [Photo: NBA.com News Services\/Dallas Mavericks]<\/p>\n<p>The Dallas Mavericks have named former Toronto Raptors president and GM Masai Ujiri as the Mavs\u2019 new president and alternate governor.<\/p>\n<p>In his 13 seasons at Toronto\u2014first as EVP and general manager, then as president\u2014Ujiri led the Raptors to the team\u2019s only NBA title in 2019. The Raptors parted ways with him last June.<\/p>\n<p>Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont called Ujiri \u201cone of the great basketball leaders of this generation\u201d and said his addition to the Mavericks franchise \u201cis a critical step in meeting our goals.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re honored to have him join the Mavs family,\u201d Dumont added in a statement. \u201cWe welcome his energy and determination along with his leadership, experience and many accomplishments as a basketball executive. We\u2019re very excited about the future of our team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ujiri: \u2018We will win in Dallas\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Ujiri will oversee all aspects of the Mavericks\u2019 basketball operations, including roster construction, player personnel, and scouting, while working with team leadership to shape the organization\u2019s basketball philosophy and long-term direction, according to NBA.com.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m honored to join the Dallas Mavericks and step into this role at such an important time for the organization,\u201d Ujiri said in a statement. \u201cThis is a franchise with a proud history, passionate fans, and a commitment to winning. I look forward to working with our players, coaches, and leadership team to build something that reflects that standard and competes at the highest level.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will win in Dallas,\u201d the new president added.<\/p>\n<p>Founded Giants of Africa nonprofit<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the NBA, Ujiri is the founder of Giants of Africa, a nonprofit launched in 2003 that\u2019s focused on empowering youth across Africa through basketball, education, and leadership development. In 2025, Ujiri was named a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocate.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to joining the Raptors, Ujiri led basketball operations for the Denver Nuggets, earning the title of NBA Executive of the Year in 2012-13. He began his NBA career as an international scout with the Orlando Magic and the Denver Nuggets.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t miss what\u2019s next. Subscribe\u00a0to\u00a0Dallas\u00a0Innovates.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0 0 10px 0;\">Track Dallas-Fort Worth\u2019s business and innovation landscape with our curated news in your inbox Tuesday-Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\tR E A D\u00a0\u00a0 N E X T\t<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/calendar\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/calendar-lukpedclub_istockphoto_weekly-calendar-811171674_1027x1027.jpg\" class=\"attachment-rp4wp-thumbnail-post size-rp4wp-thumbnail-post wp-post-image\" alt=\"\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>North Texas has plenty to see, hear, and watch.\u00a0Here are our editors&#8217; picks. Plus, you&#8217;ll find more selections to &#8220;save the date.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/the-last-word-dallas-new-poet-laureate-kristoddie-woods-aka-black-ceasar-on-turning-readers-into-poets\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"967\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/22Ceasars-Poetry-Corner22-on-TikTok-967x464.png\" class=\"attachment-rp4wp-thumbnail-post size-rp4wp-thumbnail-post wp-post-image\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Dallas&#8217; third poet laureate Kristoddie Woods steps in alongside youth poet laureate Cadence Diggs, a 17-year-old Booker T. Washington High School student, for a two-year term.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/dallas-office-at-smu-to-launch-in-august-with-klyde-warren-park-leader-as-ceo\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Kit-Sawers-93-as-the-inaugural-CEO-of-The-Dallas-Office-and-a-vice-president-of-the-University.jpg\" class=\"attachment-rp4wp-thumbnail-post size-rp4wp-thumbnail-post wp-post-image\" alt=\"\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The new office is designed to simplify how organizations work with SMU\u2014whether through research partnerships, workforce development, or student engagement.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/the-last-word-dla-pipers-danny-tobey-on-the-shift-from-chatbot-ai-to-agentic-ai\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screen-Shot-2017-10-01-at-12.42.04-PM-e1506880190392-264x4.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"The Last Word: DLA Piper's Danny Tobey on the Shift From Chatbot AI to Agentic AI\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The old human-in-the-loop rules really don&#8217;t work as well when you&#8217;re looking at ubiquitous, automated AI agents that are acting 24\/7 as digital workers.&#8221; Danny Tobey, M.D., J.D. Chair, AI and Data Analytics DLA Piper &#8230;speaking at Convergence AI Dallas on March 31 We&#8217;re moving &#8220;from an era of chatbot AI, where there is always a human at the receiving end of recommendations, to agentic and physical AI,&#8221; a world, Danny Tobey said, where AI &#8220;takes actions and makes decisions on behalf of humans&#8221; and &#8220;does so in ways that don&#8217;t always stop for human intervention, permission and understanding.&#8221; Companies\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/how-one-dfw-health-care-innovator-is-scaling-ai\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Steve-Miff-left-and-Mirna-Abyad-Baloul.jpg\" class=\"attachment-rp4wp-thumbnail-post size-rp4wp-thumbnail-post wp-post-image\" alt=\"\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation CEO Steve Miff shares approach to transparency in its prediction models.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/innovators-alert-apply-now\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/apply-business-concept-of-searching-for-decisions-new-ideas-and-opportunities-surfing-internet.jpg_s.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-rp4wp-thumbnail-post size-rp4wp-thumbnail-post wp-post-image\" alt=\"\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;ll find deadlines coming up for a new accelerator program; and many more opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/ut-dallas-draper-pitch-competition-awards-record-330k-to-student-alumni-startups\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/UTD-Draper-Pitch-041426-.jpg\" class=\"attachment-rp4wp-thumbnail-post size-rp4wp-thumbnail-post wp-post-image\" alt=\"\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Nine student and alumni teams made the finals in three tracks: undergraduate, graduate student, and alumni. Winning ideas ranged from AI sales coaching to radiation mapping and noninvasive brain drug delivery as the university\u2019s entrepreneurship push continues to scale.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/the-last-word-mark-cuban-on-ai-and-6-more-takeaways-from-his-dallas-talk\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Mark-Cuban-Convergence-AI_DRC.jpg\" class=\"attachment-rp4wp-thumbnail-post size-rp4wp-thumbnail-post wp-post-image\" alt=\"\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Cuban didn\u2019t hold back at Convergence AI Dallas, where his onstage conversation with Alex Kantrowitz delivered blunt advice and unfiltered insights.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/2026-ai75\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AI75-2026-title-w-colorstripes_top-date.jpg\" class=\"attachment-rp4wp-thumbnail-post size-rp4wp-thumbnail-post wp-post-image\" alt=\"Nominations for AI 75 2026 are open now. Deadline: Dec. 19, 2025.\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Dallas Innovates and our partners at the Dallas Regional Chamber spotlight the names you need to know in Dallas-Fort Worth&#8217;s AI economy.<\/p>\n<p>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/dallasinnovates.com\/a-new-professional-hub-is-coming-to-dallas-kiln-to-launch-two-premium-workspaces-in-preston-hollow-and-plano-3456\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"970\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Fort-Collins-Full-Res-Photos-110.jpg\" class=\"attachment-rp4wp-thumbnail-post size-rp4wp-thumbnail-post wp-post-image\" alt=\"\"  \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The premium flexible workspace brand aims to bring founders, executives, and high-growth teams into a shared professional community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dallas Mavericks President and Alternate Governor Masai Ujiri [Photo: NBA.com News Services\/Dallas Mavericks] The Dallas Mavericks have named&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280392,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,104,2582,103,103391],"class_list":["post-280391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-dallas","tag-dallas","tag-dallas-headlines","tag-dallas-mavericks","tag-dallas-news","tag-masai-ujiri"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280392"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}