Mavericks hire former Blazers exec Mike Schmitz as general manager

Atlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksLatest Mock DraftWhat Makes Up Championship DNA?Player Poll: Who is the MVP?Player Poll: Who Will Win Title?2026 NBA The Dallas Mavericks on Friday announced that they hired Mike Schmitz as general manager. He will report directly to new president Masai Ujiri. Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Share articleMasai Ujiri has made a major addition to the Dallas Mavericks’ front office. On Friday, the Mavericks announced that they hired Mike Schmitz as general manager. Schmitz, who spent the past four years as assistant general manager for the Portland Trail Blazers, will report directly to new president Ujiri and “oversee the day-to-day management” of the Mavericks’ basketball operations department, the team said. Schmitz’s background is in talent evaluation. He began working as a scout for DraftExpress in 2012 and became a draft analyst for ESPN in 2017. In 2018, he began working as an assistant coach with the Ugandan national team. “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.” In April, Schmitz was one of two members of the Blazers’ front office who were suspended for illegal contact with Chinese big man Yang Hansen two years before the team drafted him. Schmitz scouted Hansen in December 2023. NBA teams are prohibited from contacting prospects before they make an early declaration for the draft. The Blazers’ draft history has been mixed since Schmitz began working for the team. Portland chose Shaedon Sharpe at No. 7 in 2022; Sharpe averaged 20.8 points this past season but played sparingly in the team’s first-round playoff series loss to the San Antonio Spurs. In 2023, the Blazers took guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 selection — one spot ahead of where the Houston Rockets chose Amen Thompson at No. 4. In 2024, Portland went with Donovan Clingan at the No. 7 slot. Clingan, a 7-foot-2 center, started 77 games for the Trail Blazers last season. He averaged 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 27.2 minutes per contest. The Mavericks hold two first-round picks in this year’s NBA Draft. Their top pick has a 29 percent chance of moving into the top four in Sunday’s NBA Draft Lottery. They also control the No. 30 pick, which they acquired in the February deal that sent Anthony Davis to Washington. The Mavericks on Monday announced Ujiri’s hiring as president of basketball operations and alternate governor. Schmitz officially came aboard as Ujiri’s top lieutenant five days later. “Joining the Dallas Mavericks is an incredible opportunity,” Schmitz said in a statement. “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.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms