Dirk Nowitzki is buying into the Mavericks’ new direction.
A year after the franchise was rocked by the Luka Doncic trade, a 26-win season and a full front-office reset, Nowitzki said on 105.3 The Fan on Wednesday that Masai Ujiri was the right person to take over basketball operations.
"I think it was time to move on. Time to move on," Nowitzki said.
"And hired Masai, who's a proven winner in this league and has turned around a bunch of franchises. And he came in and did a bunch of changes, brought in a bunch of his own people and, obviously, well within his rights, brought a new GM, brought a new coach.
So everything's kind of new."
That overhaul has been swift. Ujiri arrived, Jason Kidd was dismissed 15 days later, Mike Schmitz was hired as general manager and Dusty May was named head coach on June 23. The Mavericks finished 26-56 last season and placed 12th in the Western Conference.
Nowitzki’s view carries weight in Dallas, and his connection with Ujiri runs deep enough to make the conversation more than a passing endorsement.
"I've obviously known Masai for a long time through some NBA ties, through NBA Africa ties, and so I've known him for probably 10-plus years," Nowitzki said. "So we've had some discussions over the last couple of weeks."
Those talks may also touch on Nowitzki’s possible future role with the team. He said the idea is being discussed, but not in any immediate, full-time sense.
"Obviously, we know that I'm pretty busy with some FIBA stuff. I just got back from Europe from the Women's World Cup, which was, by the way, amazing turnout," he said.
"Then obviously with the whole Amazon picking back up next month, so there won't be any time soon that I'm taking a full-time job. But we're definitely discussing on what could be my role in the future, but obviously it's way too soon to kind of speak on that."
He ended with a short, direct message on the Mavericks’ new era.
"I've met Masai a couple times, and excited for the Mavs' future."
The possibility of Nowitzki taking on some kind of formal role would matter well beyond the job description. After the Doncic trade, the bond between the organization and its fans took a major hit, and Nowitzki remains one of the rare figures whose ties to the franchise stretch across generations.
For now, the responsibility sits with Ujiri and the new group around him. Dallas has reshaped the roster around Cooper Flagg with an eye on size, length and youth, and Kyrie Irving is back from a torn ACL to serve as the 19-year-old’s veteran partner.
No one is talking about instant success. The expectations still point toward another season outside the playoffs. But after the chaos of the last year, the Mavericks at least have a clearer path forward.
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From Dallas side, the skepticism is pretty straightforward. The front office says it has no intention of moving Irving, who is recovering from injury and expected to return, and one Mavericks insider was blunt in grading the teams side of the proposal poorly because it would not deliver enough help in return. The concern is less about the headline names than the cost, especially when a deal would force the team to part with precious future assets and take on another significant obligation. [Read more 🡒]