A new era is beginning for the Dallas Mavericks with Masai Ujiri. At his introductory press conference, the new team president and alternate governor spoke openly about Luka Dončić’s departure—and at the same time declared Cooper Flagg to be the future of the franchise.
The longtime Raptors boss hinted in his opening remarks that stability should now return after the turbulent past few months. “I hope to bring some calm back,” Ujiri said at his introductory press conference on Tuesday.
The 55-year-old was particularly clear when discussing the fresh start following Luka Doncic’s departure. “In Africa, we say: When kings leave, kings come. A king has left, and we now have a little prince here. Now we’re going to make him a king,” Ujiri explained, referring to Cooper Flagg.
Dallas’s new “prince”: The Cooper Flagg era
The former Duke star is considered the new face of the franchise after Dallas won the first pick in the draft lottery despite having only a 1.8 percent chance. Flagg impressed despite a difficult season for the Mavs and was ultimately named Rookie of the Year. For many fans, his arrival represented the first glimmer of hope following the controversial trade of Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Slovenian had been traded for Anthony Davis just a few months after the 2024 NBA Finals. The trade sparked league-wide debate and ultimately cost former GM Nico Harrison his job. Due to injury, Davis played only 29 games for the Mavericks before being traded to the Washington Wizards later on.
What will happen to Kidd?
Ujiri was also cautious when discussing the future of head coach Jason Kidd. The new Mavericks boss explained that he first wants to hold talks with Kidd. “I have to follow a process here,” said Ujiri, pointing out that previous coaches like George Karl in Denver or Dwane Casey in Toronto had initially remained in their positions despite his arrival.
Ujiri is now pinning high hopes on the potential combination of Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg. Irving missed the entire past season after tearing his ACL. “I dream like all of you. I want to see that,” Ujiri said of the duo. “That’s going to be pretty cool.”
