Mike Schmitz Named Mavs GM, Masai Ujiri Tabs Former ESPN Analyst to Replace Nico Harrison
Six months after firing general manager Nico Harrison, the Dallas Mavericks finally have a new general manager.
The Mavs' GM search officially came to an end on Friday, when team president Masai Ujiri named former Portland Trail Blazers assistant general manager and ESPN analyst Mike Schmitz as the team's new GM.
"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. 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."
The hiring of Schmidtz as GM comes after the Mavs named Ujiri team president and alternate governor on Monday.
"Joining the Dallas Mavericks is an incredible opportunity," Schmitz said. "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 will now be tasked with cleaning up the mess left by Harrison, who was responsible for trading star guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Harrison, who was frequently subjected to "Fire Nico!" chants, didn't last a year with the franchise following the trade, as he was fired after the team's 3-8 start to the 2025-26 season. Assistant GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi were promoted to run the franchise's basketball operations department on an interim basis before Friday's move to bring in Schmitz.
The Doncic trade all but decimated the team's relationship with Dallas fans, and Schmitz will now have to try to win them back. The team's 26-56 record this season will make his job a little more difficult.
The Mavs had a stroke of good fortune when they surprisingly won the NBA draft lottery and used the 2025 No. 1 pick to select promising forward Cooper Flagg. However, the veteran-laden roster that Harrison put together didn't perform up to expectations, and Flagg experienced early rookie struggles before becoming the team's offensive focal point, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals on his way to being named the NBA Rookie of the Year.
Star big man Anthony Davis, who headlined the return package in the Doncic trade, was touted by Harrison as the player who could lead Dallas to an NBA championship. However, the oft-injured Davis was limited to just nine games with the team last season following the trade, and he was sidelined once again this season before being traded to the Washington Wizards just a year after he was acquired. Losing Davis was another blow to the team that was also missing star point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed the entire year while recovering from a torn ACL.
Schmitz's main focus going forward will be building around Flagg, who has shown flashes of superstar potential. If the Mavs' other stars can stay healthy, they should be able to return to prominence quickly.
Still, it will take some time before Schmitz is able to wash out the bad taste left by Harrison while Doncic continues to thrive with the Lakers. Mavs fans will be anxious to see if Schmitz is the right person to lead the team into the future after their disastrous experience with the previous general manager.
