Mavericks Hire Blazers' Schmitz as GM Under Ujiri

Mavericks president Masai Ujiri, in his first major reshape after arriving from the Toronto Raptors, is rebuilding Dallas's front office from the ground up. Schmitz built his profile through his NBA Draft analysis at ESPN and ran Portland's player-development department.

The club said Schmitz's expertise in evaluating international prospects aged 19 to 23 was a key reason for the hire. After the Mavericks were knocked out of last month's playoffs by the Boston Celtics, building roster depth has become the priority.

Schmitz takes over on 1 June. "We wanted a GM who believes equally in data and in people," Ujiri told reporters. While Luka Doncic remains the cornerstone of the team, the club is also targeting three first-round picks in the 2027 NBA Draft.