The 2024-25 NBA season was defined by the shocking midseason trade that sent Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team deal.
The move sparked protests from Mavericks fans outside American Airlines Center, demanding the ouster of former GM Nico Harrison, who was finally dismissed in November 2025.
Dallas began its search for a new leader and, on May 4, agreed to terms with former Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri to become the franchise's new president and alternate governor.
Ujiri is tasked with turning around a team that finished 26-56. Fans remain upset about the Dončić trade, and any new hire had to address it.
At his introductory press conference, Ujiri was asked directly if he would have made the trade. Instead of a simple 'No,' he offered a thoughtful response, urging everyone to move on and focus on the future.
'We have to respect everybody and everything that happened here,' he said. 'He is a Hall of Fame player. He is gone. He will always be a Maverick. We have to move, we really have to move on.'
Ujiri is credited with architecting the Raptors' 2019 championship run. The irony is that he also faced criticism for trading franchise icon DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard, a move that proved crucial.
Now, Ujiri takes over a Dallas squad with young talent like 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. 'When kings go, kings come,' he said. 'A king went, and we have a little prince here that we're gonna turn into a king.'